Kirkwood 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, galaxi ...

observatory owned and operated by

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

. It is located in Bloomington,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, United States. It is named for

Daniel Kirkwood Daniel Kirkwood (September 27, 1814 – June 11, 1895) was an American astronomer. Kirkwood was born in Harford County, Maryland to John and Agnes (née Hope) Kirkwood. He graduated in mathematics from the York County Academy in York, Pennsylv ...

(1814–1895) an

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

and professor of mathematics at Indiana University who discovered the divisions of the

asteroid belt The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars. It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies, of many sizes, but much smaller than planets, c ...

known as the

Kirkwood Gaps A Kirkwood gap is a gap or dip in the distribution of the semi-major axis, semi-major axes (or equivalently of the orbital periods) of the orbits of asteroid belt, main-belt asteroids. They correspond to the locations of orbital resonances with ...

Description

Built in 1900 and dedicated on May 15, 1901, the observatory was thoroughly renovated during the 2001–02 academic year. Although the facility is no longer used for research, its original

refracting telescope A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptric telescope). The refracting telescope design was originally used in spyglasses and a ...

, built by

Warner & Swasey Company The Warner & Swasey Company was an American manufacturer of machine tools, instruments, and special machinery. It operated as an independent business firm, based in Cleveland, from its founding in 1880 until its acquisition in 1980. It was f ...

with a 12-inch (0.3-meter) Brashear objective lens, also received a complete restoration. The telescope is now used regularly for outreach events and undergraduate-level classes. Kirkwood Observatory also has an instructional solar telescope.

Directors

* John A. Miller (1901–06) * Wilbur A. Cogshall (1907–44) * Frank K. Edmondson (1944–78)

References

External links

Topographical map from TopoQuest

Forecasts of observing conditions covering Kirkwood Observatory. Astronomical observatories in Indiana Indiana University Bloomington Tourist attractions in Bloomington, Indiana Buildings and structures in Bloomington, Indiana {{US-observatory-stub

Description

Directors

See also

References

External links