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st._john_observatory [2024/04/10 13:56] – [St. John Observatory] bant05st._john_observatory [2024/05/30 16:43] (current) – [St. John Observatory] bant05
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 {{tag>academics places}} {{tag>academics places}}
 ====== St. John Observatory ====== ====== St. John Observatory ======
-[{{ :191868.jpg?direct&400|St. John Observatory, ca. 1895, from the Southeast. Photo credit: [[https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.21982047|Trinity College Archives]]}}]+[{{ :191868.jpg?direct&400|St. John Observatory, ca. 1895, from the southeast. Photo credit: [[https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.21982047|Trinity College Archives]]}}]
  
 The St. John Observatory was built on the Trinity College [[summit_campus|campus]] in late 1883, located 100 feet from the end of [[seabury_hall|Seabury Hall]]. It housed astronomical equipment and was in active use for about 55 years, after which it was demolished. The St. John Observatory was built on the Trinity College [[summit_campus|campus]] in late 1883, located 100 feet from the end of [[seabury_hall|Seabury Hall]]. It housed astronomical equipment and was in active use for about 55 years, after which it was demolished.
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 In 1977, student Robert Nero '80 took on the task of locating parts from and reconstructing Luther's Warner and Swasey telescope as part of Assistant Physics Professor Brooke Gregory's observational astronomy class: "Parts emerged from hiding places in the boiler room, under a stairwell, in a cubbyhole in [[mccook_academic_building|McCook]], the lens from a physics lab storeroom, and some never were found." Nero even located 1895 drawings of a similar telescope from Warner and Swasey. When it was completed, the telescope stood 14 feet tall and weighed about 400 pounds thanks to its mainly cast iron parts.  In 1977, student Robert Nero '80 took on the task of locating parts from and reconstructing Luther's Warner and Swasey telescope as part of Assistant Physics Professor Brooke Gregory's observational astronomy class: "Parts emerged from hiding places in the boiler room, under a stairwell, in a cubbyhole in [[mccook_academic_building|McCook]], the lens from a physics lab storeroom, and some never were found." Nero even located 1895 drawings of a similar telescope from Warner and Swasey. When it was completed, the telescope stood 14 feet tall and weighed about 400 pounds thanks to its mainly cast iron parts. 
  
-Today, the only remnant of St. John Observatory is the Transit of Venus marker, which was moved from its original location in 1959 to a spot in front of [[hallden_hall|Hallden Hall]], to make way for the new [[mather_hall|Student Center]]. It is a large cube made of brick with a stone cap. If standing today, the observatory would be at the corner of [[hamlin_hall|Hamlin]] and [[cook_hall|Cook]] Halls.+Today, the only remnant of St. John Observatory is the Transit of Venus marker, which was moved from its original location in 1959 to a spot in front of [[hallden_hall|Hallden Hall]], to make way for the new [[mather_hall|Student Center]]. The marker is a large cube made of brick with a stone cap. If standing today, the observatory would be at the corner of [[hamlin_hall|Hamlin]] and [[cook_hall|Cook]] Halls.
  
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st._john_observatory.1712757417.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/04/10 13:56 by bant05