Click here for cover sheet for
this project.
![Description: MCj03316850000[1]](ObservatoryVisit195_files/image008.gif)
AST 195 PROJECT
Visit an Observatory and Compare Telescopes
This project is to be completed on your own. You must complete the
“Telescope Purchasing” and “Basics A” Beginner Projects prior to attempting
this project.
Your assignment is to visit a real observatory (scroll
down for details on various observatories) and answer some questions about your
visit in which you compare the telescope at the observatory to your
telescope. You need only visit one
observatory. Most observatories that are
open to the public offer night-time programs.
Some observatories also offer daytime programs which feature
observations of the sun. You may visit
during either night-time or day-time (solar) observations.
If you are taking AST 101 with Graney or Gonzalez, you
also have an observatory visit assignment for AST 101. If that is the case, you do not need to visit
two observatories – you may satisfy the requirement for AST 195 during you AST
101 visit, provided you answer the questions below.
When you visit the observatory, look at its telescope (if
the observatory has more than one telescope, choose one of the larger ones for
this project). Also ask questions about
the observatory telescope. Take photos
of the observatory’s telescope (one of them must have you in the picture).
Also take photos of your telescope (one of them must have you in the picture).
Your goal is to compare the two.
You
are to turn in your pictures of your telescope and the observatory telescope,
and answer the following 10 questions for this project (answers must be typed):
1)
Is the observatory telescope a refractor
(uses a lens to gather light) or a reflector (uses a mirror to gather light) or
a hybrid (uses both lenses and mirrors)?
Is your telescope a refractor, reflector, or hybrid?
2)
What is the focal length of the observatory
telescope? Of your telescope? Use the same units (mm, inches, etc.) for
both.
3)
What is the focal length of the eyepiece used
at the observatory telescope? Of your
telescope’s eyepieces? (There may be more than one eyepiece used.) Use the same units (mm, inches, etc.) for
both.
4)
What is the magnification of the observatory
telescope? Of your telescope?
5)
What is the diameter of the lens or mirror of
the observatory telescope (its aperture)?
What is the aperture of your telescope?
Use the same units (mm, inches, etc.) for both.
To
answer the next two questions you should label different features in your
photographs with a “Sharpie” or other marker, and then to refer to the
photographs when answering the questions.
6)
What similarities did you notice between your
telescope and the observatory telescope?
Discuss in a short paragraph.
7)
Were there any similarities that struck you
as particularly surprising? In other
words, were you surprised to find that your little telescope and the
observatory’s larger telescope had a certain thing or things in common?
8)
What were the most notable differences
between your telescope and the observatory telescope? Discuss in a short paragraph.
9)
If weather permitted you to observe through
the observatory telescope, how did its performance compare to your
telescope? Were you impressed by its
power? Or did you expect more?
10)
In two paragraphs, discuss what you learned
from this project.
Details on visiting observatories:
This
is a project for you do to independently.
It is your responsibility to carefully read this assignment and make
sure that your visit to an observatory meets the requirements of this
assignment. Choosing which observatory
to visit,
finding out when its public programs are held, where it is located, getting
there, etc. is your job. You might think of this assignment as an
“on-your-own field trip” that you have the entire semester to do.
Below are listed a number of observatories that are
close enough to Jefferson's Campuses that they can be reached in a day trip:
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Otter Creek-South Harrison Observatory
850
Otter Creek Park Road Brandenburg,
KY 40108 South
Harrison Park Dr SE |
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Largest aperture telescope: 7 inch.
These observatories are operated by Jefferson Community & Technical
College (only the S. Harrison location is open to the public). They feature dark skies for night-time
programs and multiple good telescopes in a rural park setting. Buildings are very utilitarian structures –
not much to look at from the outside.
They feature daytime/solar programs with solar filters and a Hydrogen-alpha
telescope for sun viewing. They also
feature a “Galileo replica” telescope that lets you see the stars as Galileo
saw them.
Photos
below are from the observatory web site.
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Above:
Otter Creek Observatory building (roof open), 6 inch refractor, Otter
Creek observatory building (roof closed).
Below: South Harrison
Observatory.
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Note that
only the South Harrison location is open
for regular public programs. Jefferson’s
observatories are not the only observatory in the area. Within an evening’s drive of Louisville there
are a number of observatories, each worth a visit. There is no one that is “best” – each has its
own advantages and disadvantages.
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The Cincinnati Observatory http://www.cincinnatiobservatory.org/ The
Cincinnati Observatory Center 3489
Observatory Place (513)
321-5186 |
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Largest aperture telescope: 16 inch.
This is a
beautiful and historic public observatory with classic long-focus refracting
telescopes that are beautifully functioning museum pieces in themselves. They are housed in very nice, restored
historic buildings. It is located in the
heart of Cincinnati and thus lacks dark skies.
Photos
are from the observatory web site.
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11 inch refractor. |
16 inch refractor. |
Buildings and grounds of the
Cincinnati observatory |
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The BB&T Observatory https://www.thomasmore.edu/academics/tmu-observatory/ Thomas More University: Photos are from the Thomas
More University web site. |
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Observatory building. |
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BB&T observatory is operated by Thomas More University. It is a new observatory with modern
equipment. It is located in the
suburbs of Cincinnati and thus has mediocre dark skies. |
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Holcomb Observatory http://www.butler.edu/holcomb-observatory/ Butler
University |
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Largest aperture telescope: 38 inch.
This observatory
features a very large Cassegrain telescope. It is located at Butler University in the
heart of Indianapolis and thus lacks dark skies. It is an impressive facility -- one of the
largest public observatories in the world.
It also has a planetarium.
Photos
are from the observatory web site.
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38 inch Cassegrain
telescope. |
Holcomb Observatory building. |
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Indiana University Southeast (IUS) Observatory Indiana
University Southeast 4201
Grant Line Rd., New Albany, IN 47150 |
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Largest aperture telescope: 7 inch.
The IUS
observatory holds public programs but does
not post a web schedule. You will
need to call for information, and some students
have complained that IUS lacks reliable information on the observatory’s
operation. It features a 7 inch
refractor. It is located in the
Louisville’s Indiana suburbs, and so has average skies – not particularly dark
but better than the observatories that are located in the heart of large
cities.
Photos
courtesy of Tammy Duncan, Jefferson Community & Technical College student.
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IUS Observatory building. |
The 7 inch refractor. |
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Kirkwood Observatory http://www.astro.indiana.edu/kirkwood.shtml 727 East
3rd Street, Swain West 319 (812) 855-6911 |
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Largest aperture telescope: 12 inch.
Kirkwood Observatory features a classic refracting telescope housed in a
picturesque building on the beautiful Indiana University campus. It is in the heart of Bloomington, which is a
relatively small town. Thus Kirkwood
will not have truly dark skies, but the skies will be better than the skies
over observatories located in major urban areas.
The observatory also houses a solar telescope. The solar telescope consists of a heliostat
on the roof of the building that directs an image of the sun down inside the
observatory. The solar telescope can
then display the sun directly (in “white light”), display a Hydrogen-alpha
filtered image of the sun, or display the solar spectrum. Note that parking can be difficult near IU –
when visiting, plan time to find a parking place.
Photos
below are from the observatory web site and courtesy of Jennifer Hatchett,
Jefferson Community & Technical College student.
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Kirkwood Observatory |
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12 inch refractor |
The “inside” portion of the
solar telescope |
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Louisville Astronomical Society (LAS) Observatory James G. Baker Center for Astronomy http://louisville-astro.org/?page_id=69
English
(Curby), Indiana 47118 |
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Largest aperture telescope: 16 inch.
The LAS is a private club that regularly opens its facilities to the
public. Visit their web page and look
for information on a “Public Observation at Curby”. You will need to contact the LAS for
details. The LAS observatory building is
a utilitarian structure – not much to look at from the outside, but the
observatory features very dark skies for night programs. If you are interested, you can join the club
-- they welcome everyone with an interest in astronomy. The LAS has been in existence since 1933.
Photo
below is from the observatory web site.
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LAS Observatory. |
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MacAdam Observatory www.as.uky.edu/observatory 500 S.
Limestone Lexington,
KY 40506 (859)
257-5330 |
Largest aperture telescope: 20 inch.
MacAdam observatory is operated by the
University of Kentucky. It is a new
observatory with modern equipment in a utilitarian structure. It is located in the heart of Lexington and
thus lacks dark skies.
Photos
below are from the observatory web site.
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MacAdam Observatory and its telescope. |
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GOETHE LINK Observatory http://www.linkobservatory.org/observatory.html 8403 Observatory Rd Photo is from the Link Observatory web site.
Observatory building. |
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Largest
aperture telescope: 36 inch. This observatory features a very large Cassegrain
telescope. It is located south of
Indianapolis and features reasonably dark skies. It is operated jointly by the Indiana
University School of Astronomy, the Link Observatory Space Science Institute
and the Indiana Astronomical Society. |
Finally, if you have an opportunity to visit
another observatory it will probably be OK (for instance, if you are going to
be in Chicago and it will be convenient for you to visit Yerkes Observatory
that would be great!). Check with your
instructor.
Note that some observatories will cancel their
public programs if the weather is not clear. Before you make the drive, find out ahead of
time whether you will at least get a tour of the observatory if the weather
turns cloudy. You don’t want to waste
the trip.
Some observatories may offer a
planetarium show. Planetarium shows
(stars projected on a dome) are nice but they are not the real
heavens. They are purely educational
facilities. Observatories, on the other
hand, are real scientific instruments for studying the real heavens – even when
they are public observatories used primarily for education. Planetarium shows do not “count” for this
assignment. If you go to a
planetarium show while visiting an observatory then enjoy the show – but do not
use the planetarium show to fulfill this assignment.
What if the observatory holds
a program and you go, but the weather turns bad? The criteria for this assignment will be
this -- Did you get to go in the observatory and at least see and get a tour
of the instruments, even if cloudy weather kept you from seeing through them? If "yes", then the assignment
“counts”. You will be able to complete
the assignment. If “no” then you will
have to make another trip to complete the assignment. Keep in mind, though, that observatories are
usually happy to have interested visitors.
If you get there and the weather has turned bad and they are going to
cancel the program and close up shop, ask for a tour and a chance to see the
telescopes! They might open it up just
for you.
Ask
permission first before you take photos. Flash
photos, especially in dark locations, can be disruptive and uncomfortable, and
can possibly damage light-sensitive equipment.
A few final notes
Students
sometimes ask “Can I take family along to the observatory?” or “Can we get a
group of classmates together and go as a group?” Certainly!
This is an independent field
trip project and you are free to organize it however you see fit, so long as
you fulfill what is asked for in the assignment.
This
assignment is intended to be enjoyable and interesting. Observatories are cool places. I hope your trip is fun.
Don’t
wait until the last minute to do this assignment.