Powell Observatory
Encyclopedia
Powell Observatory is an astronomical observatory located near Louisburg
in Miami County
, Kansas
, near Kansas City
. It features several large telescopes and is available for public viewing, for private use of Astronomical Society of Kansas City members, and for ongoing research projects.
The observatory, located in Lewis-Young Park just north of Louisburg, was built in 1984 by members of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City (ASKC). Its main telescope
is a Ruisinger Newtonian reflector
, with a single 30 inches (76.2 cm) objective (mirror), housed in a dome. This telescope is believed to be the largest in a five-state (Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma) area. The observatory also has a 16 inches (40.6 cm) telescope for public programs, a computer-controlled 12 inches (30.5 cm) telescope for research projects and member use, and a small conference/lecture room and visitor's center.
Powell Observatory runs regular public programs every weekend from May through October. The telescope is open for public viewing of the night sky; it is one of the largest telescopes in the United States regularly open to the public for this purpose. The observatory is supported by ASKC membership dues, and by private and public donations.
During 2009, Powell Observatory hosted Saturday-night "Starbright" programs that began at dusk and included introductory and advanced lectures on astronomy by ASKC members and guest speakers, a tour of the observatory, and telescope viewing if the skies were clear. On many clear evenings and most weekends, ASKC members set up personal telescopes in Powell's courtyard and are available to give tours of the night sky and to answer questions.
Louisburg, Kansas
Louisburg is a city in Miami County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,315.-19th century:Prior to the American Civil War, the land of what is now called Louisburg was part of that reserved for members of various tribes of Native Americans that were ceding...
in Miami County
Miami County, Kansas
Miami County is a county located in East Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 32,787. Its county seat and most populous city is Paola...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, near Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. It features several large telescopes and is available for public viewing, for private use of Astronomical Society of Kansas City members, and for ongoing research projects.
The observatory, located in Lewis-Young Park just north of Louisburg, was built in 1984 by members of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City (ASKC). Its main telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
is a Ruisinger Newtonian reflector
Newtonian telescope
The Newtonian telescope is a type of reflecting telescope invented by the British scientist Sir Isaac Newton , using a concave primary mirror and a flat diagonal secondary mirror. Newton’s first reflecting telescope was completed in 1668 and is the earliest known functional reflecting telescope...
, with a single 30 inches (76.2 cm) objective (mirror), housed in a dome. This telescope is believed to be the largest in a five-state (Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma) area. The observatory also has a 16 inches (40.6 cm) telescope for public programs, a computer-controlled 12 inches (30.5 cm) telescope for research projects and member use, and a small conference/lecture room and visitor's center.
Powell Observatory runs regular public programs every weekend from May through October. The telescope is open for public viewing of the night sky; it is one of the largest telescopes in the United States regularly open to the public for this purpose. The observatory is supported by ASKC membership dues, and by private and public donations.
During 2009, Powell Observatory hosted Saturday-night "Starbright" programs that began at dusk and included introductory and advanced lectures on astronomy by ASKC members and guest speakers, a tour of the observatory, and telescope viewing if the skies were clear. On many clear evenings and most weekends, ASKC members set up personal telescopes in Powell's courtyard and are available to give tours of the night sky and to answer questions.