Van Vleck Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Van Vleck Observatory |
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Van Vleck Observatory
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| Organization | Wesleyan University | ||||||||
| Location | Middletown, Connecticut | ||||||||
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Coordinates
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41°33′18″N 72°39′33″W / 41.55500°N 72.65917°W
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| Altitude | 65 meters (213 ft) | ||||||||
| Established | 1914 | ||||||||
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The Van Vleck Observatory (VVO) is a special place where people study the stars and planets. It is an astronomical observatory that belongs to Wesleyan University. The observatory was built in 1914.
It was named after Professor John Monroe Van Vleck, who used to lead the math and astronomy departments at the university. You can find the observatory in Middletown, Connecticut in the USA. It has some really cool telescopes, including a very old and famous one called a Great Refractor.
Exploring the Telescopes
Wesleyan University has three main telescopes at the observatory. Two of these telescopes are often used for public viewing nights. This means students and anyone from the public can come and look at the night sky! One of these is a 16-inch (406 mm) telescope, and the other is a 20-inch (508 mm) telescope.
The third telescope is called the Perkins Telescope. It is 24 inches (610 mm) big. This telescope is mostly used for serious research. University students use it for their projects, and professors use it for their studies. The Perkins Telescope is one of the largest telescopes in the New England area.
Wesleyan University also works with other universities. They help run a telescope called the WIYN .9-meter telescope. This powerful telescope is located at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. Students and teachers from Wesleyan can travel to Arizona to use this telescope for their research. Wesleyan is also part of a group called the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium (KNAC).
Did you know that Wesleyan University got a telescope way back in 1836? It was a 6-inch (152 mm) refractor telescope. For a while, this was the biggest telescope in the entire United States! Later, in the 1900s, this historic telescope was moved to the Van Vleck Observatory.
Images for kids
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Van Vleck Observatory
See also
In Spanish: Observatorio Van Vleck para niños
