Hirsch Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hirsch Observatory |
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| Organization | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | ||||||||
| Location | Troy, New York (USA) | ||||||||
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Coordinates
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42°43′42″N 73°40′49″W / 42.72838°N 73.68039°W
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The Hirsch Observatory is a special place for studying the stars and planets. It is located at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York. You can find it on the roof of the Jonsson-Rowland Science Center building.
Students who study astronomy at RPI use the observatory for their classes. Members of the Rensselaer Astrophysical Society, which is RPI's astronomy club, also use it. The observatory often opens its doors for public viewing sessions. This means anyone can come and look through the telescopes!
The main part of the observatory has a big 16-inch telescope. This telescope is called a Cassegrain Reflector. It has a special camera called a CCD camera and is controlled by computers. The observatory also has other smaller telescopes. There is even a special tool called a spectrograph. This tool helps scientists study the light from stars and the Sun. Professor Heidi Newberg is currently in charge of the observatory.
How the Hirsch Observatory Began
The Hirsch Observatory was finished in 1942. It was built to hold a 12-inch telescope. This telescope was designed and built right there at RPI. It was so special that it appeared on the cover of Sky & Telescope magazine in October 1942. You can still see this original telescope today. It is on display in the observatory's lobby and still works!
In 1980, a company called General Electric gave the observatory a new, larger telescope. This was a 16-inch Cassegrain telescope made by Boller and Chivens. The observatory was made bigger and celebrated this new addition.
Moving and Renaming the Observatory
In 1983, the observatory had to move. It was made smaller and moved to the roof of the Jonsson-Rowland Science Center. This move made space for a new building called the Low Center for Industrial Innovation.
The observatory was then renamed the Hirsch Observatory. This was done to honor David Hirsch, who graduated from RPI in 1965. He was a trustee at RPI and gave money to help renovate the observatory.
Recent Upgrades
In 2006, the observatory got a big upgrade that cost $70,000. The control system and electronics were updated. The telescope's optics were also "collimated," which means they were carefully aligned.
The university thought about getting a brand new telescope. However, they decided to keep the older one. The old telescope is very strong and stable. It is much heavier and more steady than many newer telescopes. This makes it a great tool for studying the night sky.
