Mont Mégantic Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mont Mégantic Observatory |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dome of OMM's 1.6 m telescope
|
|||||
| Organization | UdeM, and ULaval | ||||
| Code | 301 | ||||
| Location | Notre-Dame-des-Bois, Québec | ||||
|
Coordinates
|
45°27′21″N 71°09′09″W / 45.4558°N 71.1525°W
|
||||
| Established | 1978 | ||||
|
|||||
The Mont Mégantic Observatory (OMM) is a special place where scientists study space. It is an astronomical observatory located in Québec, Canada. Two universities, the Université de Montréal and the Université Laval, work together to run it.
The observatory opened in 1978. It has the second largest telescope in Eastern Canada. This telescope helps scientists learn about stars, planets, and galaxies. The observatory sits on top of Mont Mégantic, which is the highest point in Eastern Canada you can reach by car. It is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) east of Sherbrooke.
An asteroid called 4843 Mégantic was named after this observatory.
Contents
The Main Telescope
The observatory's main tool is a large 1.6 metres (63 in) Ritchey-Chrétien telescope. This type of telescope is very powerful. It helps astronomers see far into space.
The telescope has many modern instruments. These tools allow scientists to take pictures of space objects. They can also study the light from these objects. This helps them understand what stars and planets are made of. They can observe both visible light and infrared light.
Protecting the Night Sky
The Mont Mégantic Observatory is in a very dark place. This is important for seeing faint objects in space. Bright lights from cities can make it hard to see the stars. This is called light pollution.
To protect the dark sky, a special area was created around the observatory. It is the world's first International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) Dark Sky preserve. This preserve covers a huge area, about 5500 square kilometers. People in this area try to use special lights that do not shine up into the sky. This helps keep the night sky dark for everyone.
ASTROLab: A Place to Learn About Space
ASTROLab is a fun center for learning about astronomy. It is part of the Parc national du Mont-Mégantic. At ASTROLab, you can find many interactive displays. These displays teach you about the history of the Universe. You can also learn about Earth and how life began.
Visitors can take guided tours of ASTROLab. You can even visit the Mont Mégantic Observatory during the day. ASTROLab also hosts special astronomy evenings. They have an astronomy festival and a Perseid Festival too. These events are great for anyone who loves looking at the stars.
Solar Eclipse of 2024
The observatory was in a special spot during the solar eclipse of April 8, 2024. It was very close to the center path where the Moon completely blocked the Sun. This made it a great place to watch this amazing event.
