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McMillin Observatory was an
History of McMillin Observatory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcmillin Observatory Astronomical observatories in Ohio Demolished buildings and structures in Columbus, Ohio Buildings and structures demolished in 1976 Ohio State University buildings
McMillin Observatory was 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 ...
built around 1895 on the campus of Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
. Named after Emerson McMillin
Emerson McMillin (April 16, 1844 - May 30, 1922) was an American financier and banker. The head of the banking house of Emerson McMillin, McMillin won a commission through "gallant conduct under fire" fighting for the Union Army in the Civil War, b ...
and operated by the university, the observatory closed in 1968 and its telescope later moved to Ballreich Observatory. The observatory was equipped with photographic cameras, a filar micrometer
A filar micrometer is a specialized eyepiece used in astronomical telescopes for astrometry measurements, in microscopes for specimen measurements, and in alignment and surveying telescopes for measuring angles and distances on nearby objects. Th ...
, and a custom Brashear spectroscope
An optical spectrometer (spectrophotometer, spectrograph or spectroscope) is an instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically used in spectroscopic analysis to identify mate ...
. The observatory had two main focuses, education and at least one astronomic scientific research study focus.
History
The director of the observatory was Professor Henry C. Lord. The observatory was equipped with a 12.5 inch aperture refractor, the largest telescope in Ohio, USA on its debut in 1896. It was on a Warner and Swasey mounting and Brashear made the optics. An 1896 document about the observatory said the Warner and Swasey mount was so well known it did no need description. The observatory was formally opened on June 16, 1896. The building included the one foot refractor, a laboratory, and a planetarium. The refractor was equipped with a spectrograph. Also, although the observatory was not opened until June, the telescope was ready by December 1895. In the 1930s OSU became involved with the Perkins Observatory, which had been given a 69-inch reflector. This was the third largest telescope in the world, and ASU and that observatory had an agreement for about 70 years. The refractor was reportedly given to Kaubisch Memorial Library of Fostoria in 1975, however it was not moved out due to its size and was put in storage when the University had the building razed in 1976. In the 1980s the refactor it was established in the Ballreich observatory. Then the telescope was eventually owned byHeidelberg University
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Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...
of Ohio, while it remains at Ballreich. It was reported that as a condition of funding the observatory, OSU was supposed to allow public access to the observatory, which they did by allowing twice monthly public sessions until 1962.
The overall observatory was funded by the donations of the benefactor Emerson McMillion, who also gave five year endowment for a Fellowship in Astronomy, and he also funded an expedition to Hawaii to observe the 1910 apparition of Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the o ...
.
Observatory equipment
Items: * 12.5 inch refractor (Brashear) on equatorial mounting * Transit Telescope * Zenith Telescope * Chronograph * Chronometer * Sextant * Other astronomy itemsSee also
*List of largest optical telescopes of the 19th century
List of largest optical telescopes in the 19th century, are listings of what were, for the time period of the 19th century large optical telescopes. See List of largest optical telescopes in the 20th century for the 1900s. The list includes various ...
*List of largest optical refracting telescopes
Refracting telescopes use a lens to focus light. The largest refracting telescope in the world is the Yerkes Observatory 40 inch (102 cm) refractor, used for astronomical and scientific observation for over a century. The Swedish 1-m S ...
*List of observatories
This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in ...
References
External links
History of McMillin Observatory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcmillin Observatory Astronomical observatories in Ohio Demolished buildings and structures in Columbus, Ohio Buildings and structures demolished in 1976 Ohio State University buildings