The Vassar College Observatory is an

astronomical 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 ...

of the private

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

, located near the eastern edge of the

Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

college's campus. Finished in 1865, it was the first building on the college's campus, older even than the Main Building, with which it shares the status of

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

. The observatory's significance is due to its association with

Maria Mitchell Maria Mitchell ( /məˈraɪə/; August 1, 1818 – June 28, 1889) was an American astronomer, librarian, naturalist, and educator. In 1847, she discovered a comet named 1847 VI (modern designation C/1847 T1) that was later known as " Miss Mi ...

, the first widely known woman

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, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. As the college has built a new observatory on a hill near the edge of campus, the building is no longer used for astronomy. In 2008 it underwent a large restoration and renovation and now houses the offices of the Education Department and classrooms.

History

Mitchell, the first manager of the observatory, focused primarily on observing

planets A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a young ...

and their

satellites A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotop ...

. She was an avid advocate for using the observatory as part of courses of study. Students could frequently be found using both the main telescope and any number of smaller instruments. In addition to serving as an educational and research facility, the original observatory also served as a home for Maria and her father during and after her tenure as professor. Professor Mary W. Whitney assumed the directorship in 1888. She had been a student of Mitchell's. Whitney focused on comets and published in 1890, 1892 and 1895 in the ''Astronomical Journal''. It was noted in ''Popular Astronomy'' in 1904, "In general the work done at Vassar is similar to that done at several of the smaller German and Italian Observatories." The building was declared a

in 1991. Today, the old observatory is no longer used for research. While the building still stands, the telescope has been removed and most of the building is used as office space. In the late 1990s, a new observatory was built on the Vassar College campus. The Class of '51 Observatory houses two telescopes; one 20-inch reflector used primarily for public outreach, and a 32-inch reflector used for teaching and research. It is tied with the Austin-Fellows telescope of the

Stull Observatory Stull Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Alfred University located in Alfred, New York (USA) and named after John Stull, who helped establish the observatory in 1966. It is notable for housing seven independentl ...

Alfred University Alfred University is a private university in Alfred (village), New York, Alfred, New York. It has a total undergraduate population of approximately 1,600 students. The university hosts the New York State College of Ceramics, which includes The ...

for being the 2nd-largest optical telescope in the state of

, the largest being the 40-inch reflector at

SUNY Oneonta College Observatory The SUNY Oneonta College Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Oneonta, New York, Oneonta, New York (state), New York. The observatory is home to the largest optical telescope in New York: a 1-meter (40 inch) Newtonian reflector. It is also ...

List of directors

(1865–1888) * Mary W. Whitney (1888–1895) *

Caroline Furness Caroline Ellen Furness (June 24, 1869 – February 9, 1936) was an American astronomer who taught at Vassar College in the early twentieth century. She studied under Mary Watson Whitney at Vassar and was the first woman to earn a PhD in astronomy ...

(1895–1936) *

Maud Worcester Makemson Maud Worcester Makemson (September 16, 1891—December 25, 1977) was an American astronomer, a specialist on archaeoastronomy, and director of Vassar Observatory. Early life and education Maud Lavon Worcester was born in 1891 in Center Harbor, ...

(1936-1957) * Henry Albers (1958–1990) * Fred Chromey (1990–2016) * Colette Salyk (2016–Present)

References

* McKenney, Anne P., "What women have done for astronomy in the United States," ''Popular Astronomy'', Vol. 12, pg. 171.

External links

Places Where Women Made History: Vassar College Observatory, at National Park Service

Department of Physics and Astronomy at Vassar College

{{Authority control Astronomical observatories in New York (state) National Historic Landmarks in New York (state) School buildings completed in 1865 Vassar College buildings University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Dutchess County, New York

History

List of directors

See also

References

External links