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Lowell Observatory From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lowell Observatory

The Clark  Telescope Dome on Mars Hill

Organization Private institution

Code 690

Location Flagstaff, Ariona

Coordinates !"#$%&$0'( $$$#!9&"%')

Altitude %,%$0 m *+,%"0 ft

Established $-9.

Website http/1112lo1ell2e3u

Telescopes

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(throu gh NOFS  ) and the  NRL )

Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States.Lowell bservatory was established in !"#$, placing it among the oldest observatories in theUnited States, and was designated a %ational &istoric Landmark in !#'(.)*+)+ -n *!!, thebservatory was named one of /0he World1s ! 2ost -mportant 3laces/ by 0-24. -t was atthe Lowell bservatory that the dwarf planet 3l5to was discovered in !# by 6lyde

0omba5gh.0he bservatory1s original '!7centimeter 8*$7inch9 Alvan 6lark 0elescope is still in 5se todayfor p5blic ed5cation. Lowell bservatory hosts "(, visitors per year at their Steele :isitors6enter, who take g5ided daytime to5rs and view vario5s wonders of the night sky thro5gh the6lark 0elescope and other telescopes. -t was fo5nded by astronomer 3ercival Lowell of;oston1s well7known Lowell family and is overseen by a sole tr5stee, a position historicallyhanded down thro5gh the family. 0he first tr5stee was Lowell1s third co5sin <5y Lowell 8!#!'=!#*>9. 3ercival1s nephew ?oger 35tnam served from !#*>=!#'>, followed by ?oger1s

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son2ichael 8!#'>=!#">9, 2ichael1s brother William Lowell 35tnam --- 8!#">=*!9, andc5rrent tr5stee W. Lowell 35tnam.

0he observatory operates several telescopes at three locations in the Flagstaff area. 0he mainfacility, located on 2ars &ill @5st west of downtown Flagstaff, ho5ses the original '!7centimeter8*$7inch9 6lark ?efracting 0elescope, altho5gh its role today is as a p5blic ed5cation tool andnot research. 0he telescope, b5ilt in !"#' for *,, was assembled in ;oston by  Alvan

6lark and then shipped by train to Flagstaff. Also located on the 2ars &ill camp5s is the 7centimeter 8!7inch9 3l5to Biscovery 0elescope, 5sed by 6lyde 0omba5gh in !# to discoverthe dwarf planet 3l5to.

Lowell bservatory c5rrently operates fo5r research telescopes at its Anderson 2esa dark skysite, located * km 8!* mi9 so5theast of Flagstaff, incl5ding the !"7centimeter 8>*7inch93erkins 0elescope 8in partnership with ;oston University9 and the !!7centimeter 8$*7inch9Cohn S. &all 0elescope. Lowell is a partner with theUnited States %aval bservatory and %aval?esearch Laboratory in the %avy 3recision ptical -nterferometer  8%3-9 also located at thatsite. 0he bservatory also operates smaller research telescopes at its historic site on 2ars &illand in A5stralia and 6hile.

3ast Anderson 2esa, on the peak of &appy Cack, Lowell bservatory has also b5ilt and is

commissioning the $.*"7meter 8!'#7inch9 Biscovery 6hannel 0elescopein partnership withBiscovery 6omm5nications, -nc.

Contents

  )hide+ 

• ! &istory 8see discoveries below9

• * Biscovery 6hannel 0elescope 8B609

• 65rrent research

• $ %otable discoveries

• ( See also

• ' ?eferences

• > 4Dternal links

History (see discoveries below))edit+

 Aside from the wide array of research and discoveries listed below, one science programcarried o5t at the bservatory was the meas5rement of the variability of solar irradiance.)$+ When &arold L. Cohnson took over as the director in !#(*, the stated ob@ective became tofoc5s on light from the S5n reflecting from Uran5s and%ept5ne.)$+ -n !#(, the c5rrent ( cm8*!7inch9 telescope was erected.)$+ ;eginning in !#($, this telescope began monitoring thebrightness of these two planets, and comparing these meas5rements with a reference set ofs5nlike stars.)$+

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•

3ercival Lowell in the observer1s chair of the Alvan 6lark '! cm 8*$7inch9 refractor 

 

•

 Alvan 6lark refractor telescope, the first permanent telescope at Lowell bservatory

 

•

cm 8!7inch9astrograph 5sed to discover 3l5to

Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT))edit+

?ot5nda b5ilding

Main article: Discovery Channel Telescope

Lowell bservatory is b5ilding a ma@or new reflecting telescope in partnership with Biscovery6omm5nications, located near &appy Cack, Arizona. 0his Biscovery 6hannel 0elescope 8B609,located within the 2ogollon ?im ?anger Bistrict of the 6oconino %ational Forest, is eDpected to

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be the fifth7largest telescope in the contig5o5s United States, and it will enablethe astronomers of Lowell bservatory to enter new research areas deeper into o5ter space.

0he B60 and the research carried o5t there will be the foc5s of ongoing informative anded5cational television programs abo5t astronomy, the sciences, and technology to be telecaston the Biscovery channels. 0he primary mirror  of the Biscovery 6hannel 0elescope will be$.*" m 8!'# in9 in diameter. -t will be s5pposely notable for its 5ncommon menisc5s design for

s5ch a large mirror. 0his mirror was gro5nd and polished into its parabolic shape at the pticalFabrication and 4ngineering Facility of the 6ollege of ptical Sciences of the University