Dyer Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dyer Observatory |
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Dyer Observatory logo
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| Organization | Vanderbilt University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Brentwood, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coordinates
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36°03′08″N 86°48′18″W / 36.05222°N 86.80500°W
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| Altitude | 345 metres (1,132 ft) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Established | 1953 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website Dyer Observatory |
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The Dyer Observatory, also known as the Arthur J. Dyer Observatory, is a special place for looking at the stars. It is an observatory owned by Vanderbilt University. This cool building was built in 1953. You can find it in Brentwood, Tennessee. It's the only Vanderbilt building not on the main campus in Nashville.
The observatory is named after Arthur J. Dyer. He helped pay for its large, 24-foot (7.3 m)-wide dome. Inside, there's a big 24-inch (610 mm) reflecting telescope. This telescope is named after a famous astronomer, Carl Seyfert. Today, the Dyer Observatory helps teach people about space. Its main goal is to get kids excited about science and engineering. The observatory was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 6, 2009. This means it's an important historical site.
Contents
Discovering the History of Dyer Observatory
Vanderbilt's First Stargazing Spot
Before the Dyer Observatory, Vanderbilt University had another place for looking at the sky. This first observatory was right on the university's main campus. It had a 6-inch (150 mm) refracting telescope. A refracting telescope uses lenses to make distant objects look closer.
This early observatory was where E. E. Barnard started his amazing work in astronomy. Barnard became very famous. He discovered 16 comets! He also found the fifth moon orbiting Jupiter. Vanderbilt University even gave him a special award, an honorary degree. This is the only honorary degree the university has ever given. The on-campus observatory was later named in his honor. But over time, this older observatory wasn't big enough for what the university needed.
Building a New Observatory
In 1946, a new astronomer named Carl Seyfert joined Vanderbilt. He really wanted to make the astronomy program better. He pushed for more classes and a brand new observatory. Seyfert asked many businesses in Nashville for help. More than 80 businesses gave money to buy equipment for the new observatory.
He also convinced Arthur J. Dyer to help. Mr. Dyer owned the Nashville Bridge Company. He agreed to pay for the observatory's large dome. His company even helped install it! The Dyer Observatory officially opened in December 1953. Carl Seyfert became its first director. After he passed away, the big 24-inch (610 mm) telescope was named in his honor.
Changes to the Dome
When the observatory first opened, its dome was painted a shiny silver color, like aluminum. But this caused a problem. The dome would stay too warm, especially before midnight. This made it hard to get clear views through the telescope.
So, in 1963, they painted the dome white. This simple change made a huge difference! The white paint reflected more sunlight. This kept the dome much cooler. Because the dome was cooler, the telescope could get much better views of the stars and planets.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Observatorio Dyer para niños
