Dudley Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dudley Observatory |
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The second Dudley Observatory building, shown on a postcard (c. 1911)
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| Code | 296 |
| Location | Loudonville, New York |
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Coordinates
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42°43′08″N 73°45′04″W / 42.7188°N 73.7510°W
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The Dudley Observatory is a special place that teaches people about astronomy, which is the study of stars, planets, and space. It's a non-profit organization, meaning it focuses on its mission rather than making money. Since 2019, it has been located in Loudonville, New York. It's actually the oldest non-university place in America dedicated to studying space! Before Loudonville, it was in Albany, New York from 1856 to 1973, and then in Schenectady from 1973 to 2019. It used to be a working observatory, which is a building with telescopes for looking at space.
History of the Observatory
The Dudley Observatory was officially created on February 11, 1852. The New York State Senate and Assembly, which are parts of the state government, approved its creation. It was named after Charles E. Dudley, who was from Albany. He used to be a United States Senator, a very important politician.
Charles Dudley passed away in 1841. His wife, Blandina Bleeker Dudley, gave a lot of money to start the observatory after he died. This is called "endowing" an institution. The Dudley Observatory has been in at least six different places since it began.
Goat Hill: Early Years (1856–1893)
The very first home of the observatory was on a hill in Albany called "Goat Hill." Today, an elementary school is located near that spot. Building the observatory started in 1852. It was officially opened on August 28, 1856, even before it was completely finished. A famous speaker named Edward Everett gave a speech at the opening. He was once the President of Harvard University and a United States Secretary of State.
The Dudley Observatory was one of the first groups to join Union University. This university was started on April 10, 1873, by a law from the New York State Legislature.
South Lake Avenue: New Location (1894–1963)
By the 1890s, many trains were passing by the first observatory building. The shaking from the trains was making it hard to use the sensitive astronomy tools. So, the original building was sold to the city of Albany. The observatory bought new land on the property of the Albany Alms-House.
After World War II, the Dudley Observatory started to change. It moved from just looking at stars to doing research for the "space race." This was a time when the United States and other countries were trying to be the first to explore space. Because of this change, the second observatory building was sold to the Albany Medical Center in 1963. That building later burned down in 1970. A new building, the Capital District Psychiatric Center, was built in its place.
Lewis Boss and Benjamin Boss Laboratory (1969–1976)
After selling the second observatory, the Dudley Observatory bought an office building. This building was located at 100 Fuller Road, close to the University at Albany. This period lasted until the space race ended. When the government funding for space research, especially from NASA, became less available, the observatory rented its Fuller Road office to the University in 1976.
Schenectady: A New Chapter (1977–2019)
For a short time, the observatory was in a shopping area in Latham, New York. Then, it gave its collection of old and rare books to the Union College Library. In 1977, it moved to a house on Union Avenue. Later, it moved to the Schaffer Heights Senior Apartments building in Schenectady, staying there until 2015. In 2008, the observatory fixed up its old Pruyn telescope, which was made around 1893.
Museum of Innovation and Science (2015–2019)
More recently, the Dudley Observatory has changed its focus. It's now more about teaching people than just doing research. In 2015, it moved to the Museum of Innovation and Science in Schenectady. In 2018, work began on a new observatory building on the museum's grounds. This would have been the first time Dudley was a working observatory in almost 40 years.
Siena College: Current Home (2019–present)
In 2019, the Dudley Observatory moved to the campus of Siena College in Loudonville, New York. At the same time, its collection of old documents and records was given to the New York State Archives. The Archives have the tools and people to properly organize and protect these important papers. Some of the observatory's scientific equipment, like a special telescope and its mount, were given to the New York State Museum in Albany. The Dudley Observatory still has a collection of very rare books, including first editions by famous scientists like Galileo and Copernicus.
Directors of the Observatory
Here are the people who have led the Dudley Observatory over the years:
- Benjamin Apthorp Gould (1856–1859)
- Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel (1859–1861)
- George Washington Hough (1862–1874)
- Lewis Boss (1876–1912)
- Benjamin Boss (1912–1956)
- Curtis Hemenway (1957–1977)
- Ralph Alpher (1987–2004)
- Colleen Gino (2004)
- Margaret Schwab (2006–2012)
- Elissa Kane (2012–2015)
- Melanie Evans (2020–Present)
See also
In Spanish: Observatorio Dudley para niños
- Henry Fitz
- List of astronomical observatories
