McCormick Observatory

Last updated
Leander McCormick Observatory
Leander McCormick Observatory.jpg
Leander McCormick Observatory at night
Alternative namesLeander McCormick Observatory OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
OrganizationDepartment of Astronomy, University of Virginia
Observatory code 780   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Location Albemarle County, Virginia, US
Coordinates 38°1′58.2″N78°31′20.4″W / 38.032833°N 78.522333°W / 38.032833; -78.522333
Altitude264 meters (866 ft)
Established1884
Website McCormick Observatory
Telescopes
McCormick Telescope26-inch refractor
McCormick, Leander, Observatory
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location600 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia
Coordinates 38°1′58.2″N78°31′20.4″W / 38.032833°N 78.522333°W / 38.032833; -78.522333
Area1.3 acre
Built1884
Built byWarner & Swasey (dome)
George W. Spooner (house)
Manois & Sons (lens casting)
Alvan Clark and Sons (lens grinding)
ArchitectWilson Bros
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival, Queen Anne
NRHP reference No. 04001245 [1]
VLR No.002-1759
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 19, 2004
Designated VLRMarch 17, 2004, September 29, 2006 [2]
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Location of Leander McCormick Observatory
  Commons-logo.svg Related media on Commons
Leander McCormick Observatory in 1890 Leander McCormick Observatory in 1890.jpg
Leander McCormick Observatory in 1890

The Leander McCormick Observatory is one of the astronomical observatories operated by the Department of Astronomy [3] of the University of Virginia, and is situated just outside Charlottesville, Virginia (US) in Albemarle County on the summit of Mount Jefferson (also known as Observatory Hill). It is named for Leander J. McCormick (1819–1900), who provided the funds for the telescope and observatory.

Contents

History

Origin and construction

Leander McCormick was the son of Robert McCormick (1780–1846), the inventor of a mechanical reaper, and brother of Cyrus H. McCormick, who patented it and undertook the large scale manufacture and marketing of the invention. The McCormick family's homestead of Walnut Grove was located near Raphine, Virginia, although they moved to Chicago in 1848 to manufacture the reaper on a large scale. In Chicago, Cyrus, Leander and their brother William founded what became the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and eventually International Harvester.

In 1870 Leander decided to donate the largest telescope in the world to his home state of Virginia. However, the financial impact of the American Civil War on Virginia as well as the impact of the Great Chicago Fire on his own finances, delayed his effort. In addition to the University of Virginia, for years he was also considering Washington College (later Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia, since it was located much closer to the family homestead. In 1870, Robert E. Lee, who was then president of Washington College, sent a letter of introduction to Joseph Henry, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, making known McCormick's wishes to establish an astronomical observatory in the state. It was largely through the efforts of Charles Scott Venable (aide-de-camp to Gen. Robert E. Lee from 1862 to 1865 and professor of mathematics at the University of Virginia from 1865 to 1896) that McCormick finally decided to make his gift to the University of Virginia in 1877. In 1878, the University of Virginia officially received McCormick's donation of the telescope. This was followed in 1881 by a donation of $18,000 for the observatory itself, contingent on the University's raising the funds to endow the professorship. [4] [5]

The 65 cm refracting telescope was made by Alvan Clark & Sons of Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, who were regarded as the finest telescope makers of the age. At the time it was the equal largest telescope in the United States, and the second largest refractor in the world when completed. It was nearly a twin of the earlier 26-inch refractor at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington. However, the Clarks made some adjustments to the lens to improve the image quality over that of the Naval Observatory refractor. In 1877 while the McCormick Refractor was still in Cambridgeport, Alvan Clark used it to verify the discovery of the moons of Mars the night after the discovery observations were made by Asaph Hall with the Naval Observatory refractor.

The telescope and building were completed in 1884, and dedicated on April 13, 1885, Thomas Jefferson's birthday. The dome, at 45 feet, was the largest in the world when completed; it was designed by Warner and Swasey with a unique three shutter design.

Early years

The first published observations to be carried out at the Observatory, before the telescope was even complete, was of the Transit of Venus on December 6, 1882. Observations were made at the site of the observatory as well as at the Rotunda of the University of Virginia.

Under the first director, Ormond Stone, a program to measure the positions of southern stars was carried out (an extension on the Durchmusterung star catalogue to -23 degrees). In addition, the orbits of southern double stars were measured and southern nebulae were observed.

Starting in 1914 the second director, Samuel Alfred Mitchell, began a program to measure the distances to nearby stars (stellar parallax) using photography. This program continued under the next two directors, Harold Alden and Laurence Fredrick; over the course of more than 80 years, the distances to thousands of stars have been determined with the McCormick Refractor. Peter van de Kamp, Alexander N. Vyssotsky, Emma T. R. Williams and Dirk Reuyl also carried out research on the number and types of stars seen in different directions, and from this deduced information about the size and shape of the Milky Way.

Today

The Observatory is now used primarily for teaching and public outreach, and contains a museum of the history of astronomy at the University of Virginia. The observational research of the Astronomy Department is carried out at Fan Mountain Observatory, and at other observatories.

Since the 1880s, daily weather observations have been taken at McCormick Observatory, and it has been part of the National Weather Service's Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) since the program's inception in 1890.

The telescope is the largest Alvan Clark refractor still mounted on its original Alvan Clark mount.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowell Observatory</span> Astronomical observatory and historic landmark in Arizona, US

Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. In 2011, the Observatory was named one of "The World's 100 Most Important Places" by Time Magazine. It was at the Lowell Observatory that the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yerkes Observatory</span> Astronomical observatory in Wisconsin, USA

Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, United States. The observatory was operated by the University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics from its founding in 1897 to 2018. Ownership was transferred to the non-profit Yerkes Future Foundation (YFF) in May 2020, which began restoration and renovation of the historic building and grounds. Re-opening for public tours and programming began May 27, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refracting telescope</span> Type of optical telescope

A refracting telescope is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image. The refracting telescope design was originally used in spyglasses and astronomical telescopes but is also used for long-focus camera lenses. Although large refracting telescopes were very popular in the second half of the 19th century, for most research purposes, the refracting telescope has been superseded by the reflecting telescope, which allows larger apertures. A refractor's magnification is calculated by dividing the focal length of the objective lens by that of the eyepiece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvan Graham Clark</span> 19th-century American astronomer

Alvan Graham Clark was an American astronomer and telescope-maker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvan Clark</span>

Alvan Clark, born in Ashfield, Massachusetts, was an American astronomer and telescope maker. He was the descendant of a Cape Cod whaling family of English ancestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washburn Observatory</span> Observatory

The Washburn Observatory is an astronomical observatory located at 1401 Observatory Drive on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Completed in 1881, it was a major research facility for about 50 years. Today, it is home to the UW-Madison College of Letters and Science Honors Program, while the telescope remains in use by students in introductory astronomy courses and the general public during open houses and viewings.

Boyden Observatory is an astronomical research observatory and science education centre located in Maselspoort, 20 kilometres (12 mi) north-east of the city of Bloemfontein in Free State, South Africa. The observatory is managed by the Physics Department of the University of the Free State (UFS). The Friends of Boyden assist the observatory as a public support group, organising open evenings and protecting its public interest. Boyden also makes use of members of ASSA Bloemfontein Centre, the amateur astronomy club of the city, for presenters and telescope assistants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewett Observatory</span> Observatory

The James Richard Jewett Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Washington State University. It is located in Pullman, Washington (US). It houses the largest refracting telescope in the state of Washington. The 12-inch lens was originally ground and polished between 1887 and 1889 by Alvan Clark & Sons for an amateur astronomer, who died before the telescope could be assembled. The lens was put into storage, and was purchased by the university when it came up for auction in the 1950s. Its present dome was dedicated in 1953 and it is named after the father of a supporter of the observatory, Mr. George Jewett of Spokane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamberlin Observatory</span> Observatory

Chamberlin Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of Denver. It is located in Denver, Colorado (US) in Observatory Park. It is named for Humphrey B. Chamberlin, a Denver real estate magnate who pledged $50,000 in 1888 to build and equip the facility.

Cordell–Lorenz Observatory (850) is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Sewanee:The University of the South. It is located in Sewanee, Tennessee, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yale University Observatory</span> Observatory

The Yale University Observatory, also known as the Leitner Family Observatory and Planetarium, is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Yale University, and maintained for student use. It is located in Farnham Memorial Gardens near the corner of Edwards and Prospect Streets, New Haven, Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leander J. McCormick</span> American inventor and philanthropist (1819–1900)

Leander James McCormick was an American inventor, manufacturer, philanthropist, and businessman and a member of the McCormick family of Chicago and Virginia. Along with his elder brothers Cyrus and William, he is regarded as one of the fathers of modern agriculture due to his part in the development of the McCormick Reaper and what became the International Harvester Company. He also owned and developed vast amounts of real estate in downtown Chicago and Lake Forest, Illinois. In 1885, he donated one of the world's largest telescopes to the University of Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormond Stone</span> American astronomer and mathematician

Ormond Stone, was an American astronomer, mathematician and educator. He was the director of Cincinnati Observatory and subsequently the first director of the McCormick Observatory at the University of Virginia, where he trained a significant number of scientists. He served as the editor of the Annals of Mathematics and towards the end of his life made donations which led to the founding of the Fairfax Public Library System.

For the mountains in Tajikistan, see the Fann Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvan Clark & Sons</span> American maker of optics

Alvan Clark & Sons was an American maker of optics that became famous for crafting lenses for some of the largest refracting telescopes of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1846 in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, by Alvan Clark, and his sons George Bassett Clark (1827–1891) and Alvan Graham Clark (1832–1897). Five times, the firm built the largest refracting telescopes in the world. The Clark firm gained "worldwide fame and distribution", wrote one author on astronomy in 1899.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutherfurd Observatory</span>

Rutherfurd Observatory is the astronomical facility maintained by Columbia University named after Lewis Morris Rutherfurd. Initially, Rutherfurd housed its telescopes and equipment in midtown Manhattan and later on the Stuyvesant Estate. When the Morningside campus was built, telescopes were kept in a "transit building" where the Interdisciplinary Science Building now stands. When Pupin Physics Laboratories were completed in 1927, the home of the observatory was moved to the top of the building. Below the Rutherfurd Observatory on the 14th floor was the site of Professor Wallace Eckert's Astronomical Laboratory, in which he constructed the first device to perform general scientific calculations automatically in 1933-34.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dearborn Observatory</span> Astronomical observatory in Evanston, Illinois

The Dearborn Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The observatory was originally constructed in 1888, through an agreement between the university and the Chicago Astronomical Society. In the summer of 1939, Dearborn Observatory had to be moved to make way for the construction of the Technological Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great refractor</span>

Great refractor refers to a large telescope with a lens, usually the largest refractor at an observatory with an equatorial mount. The preeminence and success of this style in observational astronomy defines an era in modern telescopy in the 19th and early 20th century. Great refractors were large refracting telescopes using achromatic lenses. They were often the largest in the world, or largest in a region. Despite typical designs having smaller apertures than reflectors, great refractors offered a number of advantages and were popular for astronomy. It was also popular to exhibit large refractors at international exhibits, and examples of this include the Trophy Telescope at the 1851 Great Exhibition, and the Yerkes Great Refractor at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.

The Lamont–Hussey Observatory (LHO) was an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of Michigan (UM). It was located in the city of Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa. Construction at the site began in 1927, and the facility was closed in 1972.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  3. University of Virginia Department of Astronomy
  4. Bruce, Philip Alexander (1921). History of the University of Virginia, 1819-1919: The Lengthening Shadow of One Man. Vol. III. New York: Macmillan. pp. 375–376.
  5. Board of Visitors Minutes. 1881-06-27. pp. 93–94, 97–99.[ permanent dead link ]