The Bradley Observatory is an

astronomical Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies ...

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

owned and operated by

Agnes Scott College Agnes Scott College is a private women's liberal arts college in Decatur, Georgia. The college enrolls approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and is considered one of the ...

. It is located in Decatur, Georgia, east of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, (USA). The observatory's largest telescope, the Beck Telescope, is a vintage 30 inch (750 mm)

Cassegrain reflector The Cassegrain reflector is a combination of a primary concave mirror and a secondary convex mirror, often used in optical telescopes and radio antennas, the main characteristic being that the optical path folds back onto itself, relative to th ...

built in 1930. The mount was built by Warner & Swasey, and the optics were built by Fecker. The telescope was originally owned and operated by an amateur astronomer, Mr. Henry Gibson. He offered the telescope for sale in Popular Astronomy magazine in 1947, seeking to upgrade his own telescope. Agnes Scott purchased it in 1947 for about $15,000 after an offer from the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

was declined for reasons related to the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. For many years, the Beck telescope was the largest in the Southeast United States, only superseded when the

Fernbank Observatory Dr. Ralph L. Buice, Jr. Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Fernbank Science Center. It is located between Decatur and Atlanta, Georgia (USA). The observatory owns a Cassegrain telescope The Cassegrain re ...

opened in 1972 with its telescope. The observatory was originally built in order to house the Beck telescope and was dedicated in 1950. It also houses classrooms, an observing plaza, faculty offices, and a 70-seat planetarium. The observatory is a contributing structure within the National Register South Candler Street-Agnes Scott College Historic District. Dr. Chris DePree is the current Director of the Bradley Observatory.

References

External links

Official website

Forecasts of observing conditions covering Bradley Observatory. Infrastructure completed in 1950 Astronomical observatories in Georgia (U.S. state) Buildings and structures in DeKalb County, Georgia Historic district contributing properties in Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places in DeKalb County, Georgia Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) University and college buildings completed in 1950 1950 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) {{GeorgiaUS-NRHP-stub

See also

References

External links