The Cincinnati Observatory is located in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

(United States) on top of Mount Lookout. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11-inch (28 cm) and 16 inch (41 cm) aperture

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 ...

. It is the oldest professional

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. H ...

in the United States. It was a key facility for astronomical research and education at the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...

and currently operates as a 19th-century observatory. There are regular viewings through both historical telescopes as well as tours and additional programs. The observatory also has an extensive outreach program, providing astronomical education for the Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana region. The Cincinnati Observatory is a contributing property to the Observatory Historic District.

History

Cincinnati Observatory was built by Ormsby M. Mitchel at the peak of

Mount Ida In Greek mythology, two sacred mountains are called Mount Ida, the "Mountain of the Goddess": Mount Ida in Crete, and Mount Ida in the ancient Troad region of western Anatolia (in modern-day Turkey), which was also known as the '' Phrygian Ida'' ...

, a hill that overlooks downtown Cincinnati.

Nicholas Longworth Nicholas Longworth III (November 5, 1869 – April 9, 1931) was an American politician who became Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was a Republican. A lawyer by training, he was elected to the Ohio Senate, where he init ...

donated of land for the purpose. The

Holy Cross Monastery and Chapel Holy Cross Monastery and Church is a registered historic building complex in Cincinnati, Ohio, listed in the National Register on September 13, 1978. Founding Between 1873 and 1977, the Holy Cross Monastery was a Roman Catholic monastery atop ...

stands today at the site. The cornerstone was laid on November 9, 1843, and presiding over the occasion was former

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

, with an introduction by Judge

Jacob Burnet Jacob Burnet (sometimes spelled Burnett) (February 22, 1770May 10, 1853) was an American jurist and statesman from Ohio. He served as a U.S. Senator. Early life Burnet was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Dr. William Burnet. He graduat ...

. At 77 years old, it was to be his last public speech, and Mount Ida was renamed to Mount Adams in his honor. The Merz refractor was the biggest telescope in the United States in the early 1840s. In 1871, the Observatory came under the control of the

and in 1873 it was transferred from Mt. Adams to Mt. Lookout in order to escape the smoke and dirt of the city, where it remains today. The ground on which it stands was given to the city by John Kilgour in 1872. A smaller structure, the Mitchel Building, holds the original telescope taken from the Mount Adams observatory. The 1873 building was built by the firm of Cincinnati architect

Samuel Hannaford Samuel Hannaford (10 April 1835 – 7 January 1911) was an American architect based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Some of the best known landmarks in the city, such as Music Hall and City Hall, were of his design. The bulk of Hannaford's work was d ...

. From 1884 to 1930 the director of the Observatory was

Jermain G. Porter Jermain Gildersleeve Porter (January 8, 1852 - April 14, 1933) was an American astronomer and opponent of the theory of relativity. Porter was born at Buffalo, New York. He studied at Hamilton College, was employed by the United States Coast a ...

."Dr. J.G. Porter, Astronomer, Dead"
''The New York Times''. In 1998 the Observatory was declared a National Historic Landmark. The

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the Solar System#Inner solar system, inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic o ...

1373 Cincinnati was named to honor the staff of the observatory.

Instruments

* The 1845 Merz und Mahler 11 inch

refractor 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 ...

– Housed in the "Mitchel Building". May be the oldest continually used telescope in the world. It is currently used for public education programs. * The 1904 Alvan Clark & Sons 16 inch refractor – Housed in the "Herget Building". Used in public education programs and graduate research.

References

External links

Cincinnati Observatory CenterView The Cincinnati Observatory Center in 3D
Forecasts of observing conditions.

{{Authority control 1843 establishments in Ohio Astronomical observatories in Ohio National Historic Landmarks in Ohio Planetaria in the United States Tourist attractions in Cincinnati Education in Cincinnati Buildings and structures in Cincinnati National Register of Historic Places in Cincinnati Research institutes established in 1843

History

Instruments

See also

References

External links