Purple Mountain Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Purple Mountain Observatory |
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Purple Mountain Observatory
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| Organization | Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Code | 330 |
| Location | Nanjing, Jiangsu Province |
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Coordinates
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32°04′N 118°49′E / 32.067°N 118.817°E
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| Altitude | 267 m (876 ft) |
| Established | 1934 |
| Website http://www.pmo.ac.cn/ |
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The Purple Mountain Observatory is a special place where scientists use telescopes to study space. They look for new objects like stars, planets, and asteroids. This observatory is located on Purple Mountain in Nanjing, China. It started operating in 1934.
What the Observatory Does
An observatory is like a science lab for looking at the sky. Scientists at Purple Mountain Observatory use powerful telescopes. They study the universe and discover new things. This helps us learn more about space.
Discoveries in Space
The Purple Mountain Observatory is famous for finding many asteroids. Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the Sun. They are smaller than planets.
Some of the asteroids found here include:
- 2223 Sarpedon
- 2260 Neoptolemus
- 2363 Cebriones
- 2456 Palamedes
- 3494 Purple Mountain
These asteroids are a special type called Trojan asteroids. Trojan asteroids share an orbit with a larger planet, like Jupiter. They stay in stable spots in that orbit.
Images for kids
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The 60-cm Zeiss reflector at Nanking in 1930
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Gate of the Purple Mountain Observatory
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Entrance at the Xuyi Station
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Telescope at Xuyi Station
