Apollo Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Apollo Observatory |
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| Organization | Miami Valley Astronomical Society | ||||
| Location | Dayton, OH | ||||
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Coordinates
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39°47′20″N 84°12′06″W / 39.788823°N 84.201794°W
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The Apollo Observatory is a special place where people study the stars and planets. It is an observatory owned by the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery. The Miami Valley Astronomical Society helps run it. You can find this observatory in Dayton, Ohio, in the United States.
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Exploring the Apollo Observatory
The Apollo Observatory got its name from Project Apollo. This was the famous space program that sent humans to the Moon! The observatory was officially opened in 1969. It is located near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB). This meant many smart engineers and optics experts helped with its design.
Building the Telescope
The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and the Miami Valley Astronomical Society (MVAS) worked together to raise money. They chose a design by Richard Buchroeder. Members of the Society, many of whom worked for the Air Force, built the telescope. The first design was quite complex. It was hard to keep it working well. So, it was later changed to a simpler Dall-Kirkham Cassegrainian design. This type of telescope uses mirrors to gather light.
Inside the Observatory Building
The original building and the large 50 cm (20-inch) telescope were designed with advice from MVAS members. The building used to have a special lab for optics. It even had a place on the first floor where people could grind and polish mirrors for telescopes.
In 1991, the Museum was remodeled. A new Digistar Planetarium was added. This meant the MVAS optical workshop areas had to be removed.
What You Can Find Today
The second floor of the Apollo Observatory has a big meeting room. This is where the Miami Valley Astronomical Society holds its monthly meetings. It's also a place for social events. Next to the meeting room is the MVAS library. Members can borrow books and other materials from here. The main 50 cm telescope is also on the second floor. It is just south of the meeting room.
The MVAS says their 50 cm telescope is one of the biggest available for amateur astronomers in southwest Ohio. However, it can be tricky to use for serious study. This is because of increasing light pollution from the city. Also, the building's own heat can affect the views.
See also
- List of astronomical observatories
