Space Place at Carter Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Space Place at Carter Observatory |
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Space Place at Carter Observatory
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| Organization | Experience Wellington | ||||||
| Code | 485 | ||||||
| Location | Wellington, New Zealand | ||||||
| Altitude | 117 m (384 ft) | ||||||
| Established | 1937 - 1941 | ||||||
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Space Place at Carter Observatory, often called Space Place, is a cool museum about space and stars. It's located in a historic observatory at the top of the Wellington Botanic Garden in Wellington, New Zealand.
This place used to be called the Wellington City Observatory, which opened in 1924. Later, it was replaced by the Carter Observatory, which officially opened in 1941. Today, Space Place is run by Museums Wellington. It's a public museum and planetarium that teaches people all about space and New Zealand's history with astronomy. Inside, you'll find a modern digital planetarium and an old 9¾-inch Cooke refractor telescope. Visitors can use this telescope in the evenings to look at planets, moons, and faraway deep-sky objects.
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A Look Back: History of Space Place
The original name, Carter Observatory, honors Charles Carter. He was a generous person who left his money to help create an astronomy observatory in Wellington.
The government decided to build the Carter Observatory in 1937. It finally opened in 1941, even though there were some delays because World War II had just started. This observatory was the fifth one built in Wellington. It was built right where the older "Tin Shed" observatory used to be.
For many years, Carter Observatory was a key place for studying space in New Zealand. Scientists first studied the Sun there. In the 1970s, new scientists joined, and they started looking at stars that change brightness, galaxies, comets, and asteroids. The Observatory even helped people who loved astronomy as a hobby do their own research.
In 1977, Carter Observatory became New Zealand's National Observatory. Then, in 1991, a planetarium called the Golden Bay Planetarium moved from downtown Wellington and joined the Carter site. This brought new things like a visitor center and a gift shop. These additions made the observatory even better for people to visit.
Over time, the observatory's main goal changed. It went from doing scientific research to teaching the public about space and astronomy. In 2010, the government officially handed over the observatory's responsibilities to the Wellington City Council. Now, it's one of four places run by Museums Wellington.
A new digital planetarium system was put in during a big upgrade in 2010. In 2015, Museums Wellington changed the name from Carter Observatory to "Space Place at Carter Observatory" (or just "Space Place"). This new name shows its role as a fun place for learning and tourism.
What You Can See: Facilities
Space Place has two main telescopes inside its building, plus a planetarium. The Thomas Cooke telescope is the main one used for public viewing sessions. It's a 9¾-inch Cooke refractor. The Ruth Crisp telescope is a 16-inch Cassegrain reflector. It was given to the observatory in 1968. Space Place also looks after the Thomas King Observatory nearby, which used to be used by the Wellington Astronomical Society. The historic Dominion Observatory is also close by, but Space Place doesn't run it.
The Thomas Cooke Telescope
The Thomas Cooke telescope is the main telescope you can use at Space Place. It was made in 1867 in York, England, by a company called T. Cooke & Sons. It was first set up at an observatory near Halifax, England. Two astronomers, Edward Crossley and Joseph Gledhill, used this telescope for many years to study the stars.
In 1879, a special clock drive was added to the telescope. This system still helps the telescope move slowly to follow objects in the sky. The telescope's first lens was a 9⅓-inch achromat (a type of lens that helps focus light better). This was replaced in 1896 with a new 9-inch Cooke lens. Around the same time, a smaller 5-inch guide scope was added next to the main telescope.
After Crossley passed away in 1905, a Reverend named Dr. David Kennedy bought the telescope. He shipped it all the way to New Zealand and set it up at the Meeanee Observatory near Napier. Kennedy used the telescope to take pictures of Halley's Comet when it came close to Earth in 1910.
The Wellington City Council bought the telescope for £2000 in 1923. It was then moved from Napier to Wellington. Later, it was given to the Carter Observatory to look after.
At the Carter Observatory, the Cooke telescope was used to study the Sun. It also helped with programs that watched flare stars and double stars. In 1968, Carter Observatory was one of the places that recorded when the Moon passed in front of Neptune. This was part of a big international project. Scientists used the information from New Zealand, Australia, and Japan to figure out Neptune's exact size.
The telescope's lens got old after 100 years of use. So, in 2001, it was replaced with a new 9¾-inch aplanatic objective (a very clear and sharp lens).
The Ruth Crisp Telescope
The Ruth Crisp telescope is a 16-inch Cassegrain reflector. It was made by a company called Boller and Chivens. This telescope was given to the Observatory in 1968 by Ruth Crisp, a New Zealand writer and helper of good causes. This telescope was once used for research at the Carter Observatory's special station at Black Birch in the South Island. Later, it was moved to the main building in Wellington.
In 2005, some money from Pub Charity helped improve the telescope. The observatory made the dome move by motor, and the telescope's mirrors were recoated to reflect light better.
Planetarium
The Golden Bay Planetarium became part of Carter Observatory in 1991. The Wellington Planetarium Society gave their Zeiss planetarium to the Observatory.
In 2010, during a big upgrade, a Sky-Skan digital fulldome planetarium system was installed. This planetarium has a nine-meter dome and can seat 66 people. It uses special DigitalSky software with six 4K projectors to show amazing images of space.
The Thomas King Observatory
Space Place also manages the nearby Thomas King Observatory. It was last updated in 2001. This observatory used to have a 5-inch Grubb telescope, made in 1886. This telescope was used for looking at the night sky and also for safely viewing the Sun through a special hydrogen-alpha filter.
Images for kids
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The entrance to Space Place
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Side view of the Thomas Cooke telescope
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The nearby Thomas King Observatory
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The Thomas King Observatory, looking towards Space Place
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Outside view of the Thomas Cooke telescope dome
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Historic plaque dedicated to Charles Carter
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The Thomas Cooke telescope
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The Ruth Crisp telescope
