Cincinnati Observatory facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cincinnati Observatory
Original building atop Mt. Lookout
Coordinates	39°08′20″N 84°25′23″W / 39.139°N 84.423°W / 39.139; -84.423
Established	1842
Website http://www.cincinnatiobservatory.org
Telescopes 1845 Merz und Mahler Refractor 1904 Alvan Clark & Sons Refractor Cincinnati Observatory U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. National Historic Landmark Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Location in the United States Show map of the United States Location Observatory Historic District; 3489 Observatory Place, Cincinnati, Ohio Built 1873 Architect Samuel Hannaford Architectural style Greek Revival MPS Samuel Hannaford and Sons TR in Hamilton County NRHP reference No. 80003043 Significant dates Added to NRHP March 3, 1980 Designated NHL December 9, 1997

The Cincinnati Observatory is a famous place in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States. It sits high up on Mount Lookout. This observatory has two buildings. Inside, you'll find two large refracting telescopes. One is 11 inches (28 cm) wide, and the other is 16 inches (41 cm) wide.

This observatory is special because it's the oldest professional observatory in the United States. It was once a very important place for studying space and teaching about astronomy at the University of Cincinnati. Today, it still works like an observatory from the 1800s. You can visit and look through the old telescopes. They also offer tours and special events. The observatory has programs that teach people about space in the Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana areas.

The Cincinnati Observatory is part of a larger area called the Observatory Historic District. This means it's a historically important building.

History of the Observatory

This picture shows the 11-inch "Merz and Mahler" refracting telescope.

The Cincinnati Observatory was first built by a person named Ormsby M. Mitchel. It was placed on top of Mount Ida, a hill that looks over downtown Cincinnati. A generous person named Nicholas Longworth gave four acres of land for the observatory. Today, the Holy Cross Monastery and Chapel stands on that original spot.

The first stone for the observatory was laid on November 9, 1843. A former President, John Quincy Adams, was there for the event. He was 77 years old, and this was his last public speech. To honor him, Mount Ida was renamed Mount Adams.

In the early 1840s, the Merz refractor telescope was the biggest telescope in the United States.

In 1871, the University of Cincinnati took over the observatory. Then, in 1873, it was moved from Mount Adams to Mount Lookout. This move was done to get away from the smoke and dirt of the city. The observatory is still on Mount Lookout today. John Kilgour gave the land for the new location in 1872.

A smaller building, called the Mitchel Building, now holds the original telescope from the Mount Adams observatory. The main building built in 1873 was designed by a Cincinnati architect named Samuel Hannaford. From 1884 to 1930, Jermain G. Porter was in charge of the observatory. In 1998, the observatory was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical site for the whole country.

An asteroid (a small rocky object in space) was named 1373 Cincinnati to honor the people who worked at the observatory.

Telescopes at the Observatory

The Cincinnati Observatory has two main telescopes:

• The 1845 Merz und Mahler 11-inch refractor. This telescope is in the "Mitchel Building." It might be the oldest telescope in the world that is still used regularly. Today, it's used for public education programs.
• The 1904 Alvan Clark & Sons 16-inch refractor. This larger telescope is in the "Herget Building." It is used for both public education and for advanced research by students.