Moore Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moore Observatory |
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| Organization | University of Louisville | ||||||
| Location | Oldham County, Kentucky | ||||||
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Coordinates
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38°20′40″N 85°31′44″W / 38.34444°N 85.52889°W
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| Altitude | 230 meters (750 ft) | ||||||
| Established | 1978 | ||||||
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The Moore Observatory is a special place where scientists and students study space. It's an observatory owned by the University of Louisville (U of L). You can find it in Oldham County, Kentucky, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Louisville.
The observatory first opened in 1978. It was named after Walter Lee Moore. He was a math professor at the University of Louisville for many years. Moore Observatory is used for important space research and for teaching students.
The observatory is located on the Horner Wildlife Refuge. This area is about 200 acres (0.8 square kilometers). The Horner family gave this land to the University of Louisville in the 1960s.
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Telescopes at Moore Observatory
Moore Observatory uses powerful telescopes to look at distant objects in space. They have several telescopes, each designed for different types of observations.
Studying Distant Planets
- A 0.6-meter (24-inch) Ritchey–Chrétien telescope was set up in 2006. This telescope is used to find and study exoplanets. These are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. Scientists watch for "transiting exoplanets." This means they look for tiny dips in a star's brightness. These dips happen when a planet passes in front of its star. The telescope also helps study nebula. Nebulae are huge clouds of gas and dust in space.
Watching Objects Near Earth
- A 0.5-meter (20-inch) Ritchey–Chrétien telescope was added in 2019. This telescope is very good at tracking objects close to Earth. It helps observe satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). It also helps study "near Earth objects" (NEOs). These are asteroids or comets that come close to our planet.
Working with Australia
- The University of Louisville also works with the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) in Australia. They have a 0.7-meter (28-inch) telescope at Mount Kent Observatory in Australia.
- Two identical 0.5-meter (20-inch) telescopes are used together. One is at Moore Observatory and the other is at Mount Kent. These telescopes were installed in 2006. They are used for teaching students about space. They also help with public events where people can learn about astronomy.
- Students can control these telescopes remotely using the internet. This means students in Kentucky can study the southern night sky during their daytime. Australian students can study the northern night sky during their day. This allows for continuous observation and learning.
