Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory facts for kids

The Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory is a special place in Washington, D.C. It is located at the National Air and Space Museum. This observatory has a large 16-inch telescope. It lets people look at the stars and planets.

History of the Observatory

The observatory at the National Air and Space Museum got its name from Phoebe Waterman Haas. This was to thank the Thomas W. Haas Foundation for a big donation. The money helps run the museum's Public Observatory Program. The observatory first opened in 2009. This was part of a worldwide event called the International Year of Astronomy.

Telescopes You Can Use

The Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory has different telescopes. There is a main telescope for looking at the night sky. It also has a special Sun Gun Telescope and other tools for safely observing the sun.

Main Nighttime Telescope

The main telescope is called the Cook Memorial Telescope. It is a 16-inch Boller & Chivens Cassegrain reflector. This type of telescope uses mirrors to gather light. It was bought in 1967 by the Harvard College Observatory. Many students used it at the Oak Ridge Observatory until 2005. Now, this powerful telescope is on loan to the National Air and Space Museum. It helps visitors explore the universe.

Sun Gun Telescope

The observatory has a 4-inch Sun Gun Telescope. This telescope is used to see the bright surface of the sun. This part is called the photosphere. There are also other tools available. They let you see different layers of the sun. You can see the hydrogen-alpha (red) light. You can also see calcium-K (purple) light from the sun's atmosphere. This part is called the chromosphere.

Visiting the Observatory

The observatory is on the east side of the National Air and Space Museum. It is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday. You can visit from noon to 3 P.M. It is also open one night each month. However, it closes if the weather is rainy. Museum staff are there to help visitors. They show you how to use all the telescopes.

About Phoebe Waterman Haas

The observatory is named after an amazing woman. Her name was Phoebe Waterman Haas. She lived in the early 1900s. Phoebe loved astronomy very much. She was one of the first women in the United States to earn a PhD in astronomy. While studying, she worked at the Lick Observatory. She might have been the first woman to use a very large telescope there. It was a 36-inch refractor. Phoebe studied the light from certain stars. Her research was the first published by a woman at Lick. She later married Otto Haas and left her university job. But she kept studying astronomy as a hobby. She was a key member of the American Association of Variable Star Observers.

Future Plans for the Observatory

The Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory is currently being updated. It is planned to reopen in 2026. This will make it even better for visitors.

See also

• List of astronomical observatories