Drake Municipal Observatory
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Comment: Needs more sources, especially those not affiliated with Drake U. Bkissin (talk) 14:07, 20 October 2020 (UTC)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2020) |
 View from the South West | |||
| Alternative names | Drake Observatory | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | Drake University | ||
| Location | Des Moines, Iowa, US | ||
| Coordinates | 41°35′43.86″N 93°41′16.22″W / 41.5955167°N 93.6878389°W | ||
| Weather | See the Clear Sky Forecast | ||
| Established | 1921 | ||
| Website | [1] | ||
| Telescopes | |||
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  Location of Drake Municipal Observatory | |||
The Drake Municipal Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Des Moines, Iowa. It is jointly operated by Drake University and the city of Des Moines, and is located within the Waveland Golf Course between the 17th green and the 18th tee (the highest point in Des Moines at the time of construction)[1]. The observatory presents public programs on Friday nights throughout the spring through autumn months and, weather permitting, attendees can observe celestial objects with a variety of telescopes.
The main dome of the observatory houses an 8.25 inch refracting telescope, on a German equatorial mount. The ashes of the astronomer Daniel Walter Morehouse, and those of his wife Myrtle, are interred within the wall of the observatory rotunda[2].
History
The 8.25 inch refractor housed in the observatory dome was purchased from Warner & Swasey (with optics produced by John Brashear), and delivered to the university in 1894[2]. Initially the telescope was housed in a dome atop the Science Hall on the university campus. This location was soon found to have been a poor choice; nearby trees and buildings obscured the horizon, and the vibrations produced by passing streetcars disturbed observations[3].
In the early 20th century a search was begun for a more suitable location to house the telescope, and a site on the Waveland Golf Course (nearly two miles west of the university campus) was chosen. The city of Des Moines agreed to provide the site and maintain the exterior of the building if Drake University would supply and maintain the observatory instruments, maintain the building interior, and offer public programs. The observatory building was constructed from Indiana limestone during the years 1920–1921, and was dedicated on November 5, 1921. At the time of its opening, the observatory housed a meridian transit telescope which was used to provide official time for the city of Des Moines (in addition to the main telescope in the dome)[2].
References
- ^ Wellman, Mike (7 July 2015). "Drake observatory: Des Moines' ghostly path to stars". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ a b c Wresch, Kaley; Kent, Deborah; Winter, Janis; Orchiston, Wayne (August 2019). "A History of Drake Municipal Observatory, Des Moines, USA: from Riches, to Rags, to Resoration" (PDF). Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. 22 (2): 301–327. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ^ Wilson, Ben H. (1942). "The Municipal Observatory". The Palimpsest. 23 (11): 359–369. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
Category:Astronomical observatories in Iowa Category:Drake University
Resubmitted with better (I hope) reference for historical information.
| This article, Drake Municipal Observatory, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
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