Newbrook Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newbrook Observatory |
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|---|---|
| General information | |
| Town or city | Newbrook, Alberta |
| Country | Canada |
| Coordinates | 54°19′27″N 112°57′18″W / 54.3242°N 112.9551°W |
| Construction started | 1951 |
| Completed | 1951 |
| Client | Government of Canada |
The Newbrook Observatory was a special building in Newbrook, Alberta, Canada. It was built in 1951 to study space and was used from 1952 to 1957. This observatory was very important for looking at meteors and even helped photograph the first-ever artificial satellite, Sputnik 1.
What Was the Newbrook Observatory?
The Newbrook Observatory was built by a group called the Stellar Physics Division of the Dominion Observatory. Think of them as government scientists who studied stars and space. The observatory was equipped with a special tool called a Super-Schmidt Meteor Camera. This was a very powerful camera, and only six of them were ever built by the Perkin-Elmer Company! It was used to take pictures of meteors as they streaked across the sky.
Capturing Sputnik
One of the most exciting moments at the Newbrook Observatory happened in 1957. A scientist named Art Griffen worked there. Less than a week after the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, Art Griffen made history. He was the first person in North America to photograph Sputnik 1! This was a huge achievement and showed how important the observatory was for space research.
Why Did the Observatory Close?
In 1970, the Canadian government decided to bring all its space research together in one place. They chose another observatory nearby called Meanook, which was about 23 miles (37 kilometers) northwest of Newbrook. Because of this change, the Newbrook Observatory was closed down. Even though it's no longer active, it's still recognized as a historic building because of its important role in Canadian space science.
