Chamberlin Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chamberlin Observatory |
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Chamberlin Observatory, circa 1900.
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| Organization | University of Denver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | 2930 E. Warren Ave., Denver, Colorado, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coordinates
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39°40′34″N 104°57′11″W / 39.67611°N 104.95306°W
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| Altitude | 1651 meters (5417 feet) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weather | See the Clear Sky Chart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Established | 1890 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Chamberlin Observatory is a special building where people study stars and planets. It's owned by the University of Denver and is in Denver, Colorado, USA. You can find it in Observatory Park. The observatory is named after Humphrey B. Chamberlin. He was a wealthy person who gave $50,000 in 1888 to help build it. This money would be worth a lot more today!
Building the Observatory
The observatory building was designed by an architect named Robert S. Roeschlaub. He made sure it looked great. A professor named Herbert Alonzo Howe helped with the parts that were important for astronomy. He visited many other observatories to get ideas.
The building looks a bit like the Goodsell Observatory in Minnesota. It's made from rough, red sandstone blocks. This style is called Romanesque, which means it looks like old Roman buildings. The observatory has a round central room called a rotunda and a dome on top. Building started in 1890.
The Main Telescope
The main telescope at Chamberlin Observatory is a refracting telescope. This type of telescope uses lenses to gather light and make distant objects look closer. The main lens, which is 20 inches wide, was made by a famous company called Alvan Clark & Sons. The part that holds the telescope steady was built by George N. Saegmuller.
The telescope sits on a strong cast iron pillar. This pillar is supported by a huge stone base. Professor Herbert Alonzo Howe was in charge of putting the telescope together. The telescope was first used in 1894.
Public Events and Light Pollution
Today, the Chamberlin Observatory is still used for learning and public events. The Denver Astronomical Society often hosts events there. People can come and look through the telescope at the stars and planets.
However, the observatory is in a big city. This means there's a lot of light pollution from streetlights and buildings. Light pollution makes it harder to see faint objects in the night sky. Because of this, the observatory is not used as much for serious scientific research anymore. Instead, it's a wonderful place for the public to learn about space.
See also
In Spanish: Observatorio Chamberlin para niños
