Lowell Observatory Pictures And Info

Click here to view the complete monsoon image seen above.


Above: Current Time And Weather In Flagstaff, AZ USA
Time Of Posting: 8:02 a.m. Pacific Time
Current Tunes: Finger 11 - "One Thing"
Weather At Posting: 61 F 16 C - Clear and calm
Current Mood: Wide Awake in America!
Last Meal: French vanilla yogurt, granola & and a big chocolate chip cookie

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"The Largest Telescope On The Lowell Campus"

Eye Toward The Sky
The image above is the largest of the domes on the Lowell Observatory campus in beautiful Flagstaff, AZ.

Lowell Observatory History
In 1894 Percival Lowell, a wealthy Harvard mathematician, founded the campus that now bares his name with the intention of verifying his theorie that there was a ninth planet in our solar system (which he called "Planet X") and that Mars could possibly have intelligent life.

Dr. Lowell Was Partly Right
As Percival predicted, a fellow astronomer in his group of cronies (Clyde Tombaugh) made the discovery in 1930. The new planet was later named "Pluto" using what is now known as the "Pluto telescope." As far as his other theory, well, as you probably already know Mars does not have intelligent life. Pluto is the only planet to be discovered in North America and the United States.

How The Planet Pluto Got Its Name
The new planet was named "Pluto" by a young British girl that thought because it was so far away from the sun, so cold and barren, it should be named after the god of the underworld, Pluto.

The Universe Is Expanding
Other significant fact about the Lowell Observatory campus include:

* The discovery of the first evidence that the universe is expanding was made between 1912 - 1917 by Dr. V.M. Slipher using the "Clark telescope."

* The discovery of the rings around Uranus

* The discovery of numerous asteroids, near earth asteroids, comets, Kuiper Belt Objects and extra-solar planets.

Mars Hill
Percival Lowell was so facinated by the planet Mars that he named the hill on which the campus stood, "Mars Hill," which is still in use today.

Current Tunes: Puddle Of Mudd - "Blurry"

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"Reflecting Telescope"

Daily Astronomical Trivia
The Lowell Observatory offers a free web page that gives a daily tidbit of information for those interested in astronomy. The page titled "Star Tales" is updated daily and allows the viewing of "Yesterday's Star Tale" as well, if you missed a day.

"Star Tale" June 30, 2004
Yesterday's "Star Tale" states that on that date in 1908 "there was a huge explosion over Tunguska, Siberia. The probable cause of the blast, which flattened trees over an area half the size of Rhode Island, was the breakup of an asteroid or comet believed to be about 60 meters across (+/- 197 feet)." That event is categorized as the largest known event of its kind in living memory.

The Discovery Channel Telescope
Lowell Observatory and Discovery Communications Inc. announced on October 15, 2003 the merging of their teams to build what will be "among the most sophisticated ground-based telescopes of its size" on the Lowell Observatory campus.

This special combination of companies should should create even more world-wide publicity for Flagstaff, AZ and Lowell Observatory in the future via a powerful medium, cable television.

Current Tunes: Saliva - "Rest In Pieces"

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"The Clark Telescope"

National Historic Landmark
The Lowell Observatory campus has several sites that are considered National Historic Landmarks because of their role in history. The "Clark Telescope" is considered because it was one of the first telescopes of its kind in the late 1800's early 1900's, and is still in use today.

The Clark telescope is still housed in its original dome made of local Ponderosa pine. The dome was built in ten days by ten men in an era without power tools.

Current Tunes: Staind - "Epiphany"

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"Inside The Visitor Campus"

Beauty On Our Planet
The Lowell Observatory is very nicely landscaped with native plants of the surrounding areas and other shrubbery that compliment existing foliage (I was originally an architectual landscaping major, so I notice stuff like that).

Visitor Center
Above you see the back side of the visitor center at Lowell Observatory...and the killer shrubbery too. If you get a chance to visit Flagstaff, AZ, consider Lowell Observatory because it's a site you'll remember if you're interested in science fiction, astronomy, etc.

The Lowell Observer Newsletter
Lowell Observatory makes available a portion of their newsletter online called "The Lowell Observer. Check it out.

Getting To The Observatory
Should you ever get the chance to visit the Lowell Observatory, you will find this link helpful in navigating to the campus atop Mars Hill in Flagstaff, Arizona.



Above: An up-to-the-minute picture of the Flagstaff, Arizona USA area. Looking North toward the San Francisco Peaks from a dorm at Northern Arizona University.


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