Jewett Observatory
Encyclopedia
The James Richard Jewett Observatory is an astronomical
observatory
owned and operated by Washington State University
. It is located in Pullman, Washington
(USA). It houses the second-largest refracting telescope in the state of Washington. The 12-inch lens was originally ground and polished between 1887 and 1889 by Alvan Clark & Sons
for an amateur astronomer, who died before the telescope could be assembled. The lens was put into storage, and was purchased by the university when it came up for auction in the 1950s. Its present dome was dedicated in 1953 and it is named after the father of a supporter of the observatory, Mr. George Jewett of Spokane
.
The observatory is not used for research purposes; it is primarily used for undergraduate student labs and training, and houses ten portable telescopes for this purpose. Additionally, the telescope is open for use to any students who have been instructed in its use, as well as to the public on monthly star party nights.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
owned and operated by Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
. It is located in Pullman, Washington
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
(USA). It houses the second-largest refracting telescope in the state of Washington. The 12-inch lens was originally ground and polished between 1887 and 1889 by Alvan Clark & Sons
Alvan Clark & Sons
Alvan Clark & Sons was an American maker of optics that became famous for crafting lenses for some of the largest refracting telescopes of the 19th and early 20th centuries...
for an amateur astronomer, who died before the telescope could be assembled. The lens was put into storage, and was purchased by the university when it came up for auction in the 1950s. Its present dome was dedicated in 1953 and it is named after the father of a supporter of the observatory, Mr. George Jewett of Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
.
The observatory is not used for research purposes; it is primarily used for undergraduate student labs and training, and houses ten portable telescopes for this purpose. Additionally, the telescope is open for use to any students who have been instructed in its use, as well as to the public on monthly star party nights.
External links
- Jewett Observatory Clear Sky Clock Forecasts of observing conditions.