Stephens Observatory facts for kids
The Stephens Observatory is a special place to look at the stars! It is located on top of the Carnegie Science Building at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Inside, you'll find a powerful telescope. This telescope is a 12 in (30 cm) Newtonian reflecting telescope. It uses mirrors to help you see objects far away in space.
A man named Roscoe G. Stephens built this telescope. He was from Kennebunk, Maine. He gave it to Bates College in 1929. Today, students who are studying astronomy use it. It helps them learn more about the universe. The observatory has modern equipment. This includes a tracking system and an electronic drive. These tools help the telescope follow stars and planets as they move across the sky.
A Look Back: How the Observatory Was Built
Did you know the Stephens Observatory was almost built somewhere else? The college first planned to build it on top of Mount David. This mountain is also in Lewiston. Back in the 1860s, college records first talked about building an observatory there. The land for Mount David was even given to the college for this exact purpose. This happened in the 1800s.
For many years, people at Bates College kept talking about building an observatory. Articles in the Bates Student newspaper from the 1870s to the 1910s mentioned these plans. They even showed pictures of what the future observatory might look like!
Why It Took So Long
Building the observatory took a long time. The college faced money problems. Because of this, the Stephens Observatory was not finished until 1929. It was finally built on the Carnegie Science Building. A kind person named Andrew Carnegie helped make this possible. He was a philanthropist, meaning he gave a lot of money to good causes. He donated the first funds to build the Carnegie Science Building itself.
