Crow Observatory facts for kids
The Crow Observatory is a special place for looking at the stars! It's a historic observatory located in Crow Hall, which is part of the Physics Department at Washington University in St. Louis. This cool observatory has an old telescope that people still use today. It's even open for the public to visit and explore the night sky!
Discovering the Yeatman Telescope
The main telescope at Crow Observatory is called the Yeatman refractor. A refractor telescope uses lenses to gather light and make distant objects look closer. The university bought this telescope way back in 1863. It was named after a kind person named James Yeatman. He donated $1,500 to help build it.
The Yeatman Refractor has a 6-inch aperture. This means its main lens is 6 inches wide. A wider aperture helps gather more light, making faint objects brighter. The special lenses for this telescope were made by a company called Henry Fitz & Co. The observatory also has a transit, which was built in 1882, and a clock from 1885. These tools help astronomers measure star positions and time accurately.
The Observatory's Story: From Old to New
The Crow Observatory hasn't always been in the same spot. It first started on 18th Street in St. Louis. But then, something big happened in 1904: the World's Fair came to St. Louis! Because of this, the university and its observatory moved. They relocated to what is now called the Danforth Campus.
The current dome, which is the round roof that protects the telescope, was built much later in 1954. That's when the Yeatman refractor telescope was moved to its current home. It's amazing that such an old telescope is still helping people learn about space today!
