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My Observations Of An Observatory; Lowell Observatory in Arizona
Topic Started: Nov 3 2004, 05:59 PM (145 Views)
Trailblazer
Member
I had forgotten that Flagstaff is the home of Lowell Observatory. We were so excited to go there this afternoon for a tour of the grounds, domes and telescopes.

We got to see the dome of the Clark's Telescope move around on 1954 Ford truck tires. They have to special order these tires from Ford. You can see the truck tires in the picture.

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See the other smaller telescopes for spotting? Lowell got tired of dusting off their lenses so he decided to cover them with his wife's pans and mixing bowls. They still to this day use the frying pan and mixing bowl as covers.

In this next picture of the astrograph used to find Pluto, note the boxing glove on the piece sticking out. Pluto Dome

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Check out the hanging lamp in the Slipher rotunda building (below) now a museum of sorts.

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Did you know the astronauts that went to the moon came to Lowell to map the moon in order to know where to land? We saw the signatures of Niel Armstrong, Frank Borman and others in the guest book!

We're headed back there tonight for star gazing.
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Trailblazer
Member
Last night we went back to the Lowell Observatory for night stargazing. We viewed the Andromeda Galaxy, which looked like a blur. Then on the Clark's Telescope we viewed M15 star cluster.

I'm still wondering why our moon doesn't have a name. All other moons of other planets have names for their moon.
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Outback Annie
Mojave Desert Yacht Club
Geez Jo...we just missed each other by a couple of weeks cause we were there too. Out by a couple of weeks. Too bad.

:ohmy:
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Heathertee
Member Avatar
Heather-Central Connecticut
Isn't the name of our moon, "Luna"? or is that just a generic name?
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Trailblazer
Member
Awww, Annie...that is too bad. I would have recognized you from your website pics! :yes: That would have been great to meet you there..."astronomical" odds if we had! :laugh:

We just heard on the Discovery Channel that DC is building or funding a new huge telescope at Lowell Observatory. Funny that LO didn't even mention this while we were there, :dunno: (We were there twice in one day.)

"Luna" is Spanish for moon. IMHO that doesn't count for a name, I don't think. :thinking:

I changed the title of the title of this thread, as there has been very little astronomy discussed. Actually, I just enjoyed "observing" the non-technical scientific apparatices like the Ford truck wheels, the pots and pans, and boxing glove that Lowell used in his observatories. :laugh:
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Lon Frank
Member
Blazer, I love it when you guys take me along! (especially when there's photos)

I'm not very good when it comes to posting things, but a cousin put up a little travelog from a couple of years ago when we went out to Big Bend. I think you can get to it here:

http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/my_heroes/vacation.html

(BTW, I'm skinnier now, and Kit's even cuter!)
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Trailblazer
Member
:) Thank you Lon, for bringing a smile to my face this morning! (I just got through posting a new thread on vortexes :mad1: and needed to feel better :yes: . I love the music and your pictures and story of your trip. I grinned :) through the whole thing! I remember you saying that you were going to take a longer trip to around the western US?

We'll be back in Louisiana in a few months....
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sylley2000
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Sylvia, Grand Bend ON
Thanks for posting those pictures Lon. Have never been to a desert, but I'd like to go some day.

Sylvia
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