From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fuertes Observatory is an observatory located on the North Campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The observatory was completed in fall of 1917 and was originally used by the Civil Engineering Department as an instructional field office for navigation and surveying. With increased building on the North Campus, Fuertes Observatory is no longer used for research but it still used for introductory Astronomy classes usually taught by grad students.
Day to day maintenance of the observatory is handled by the Cornell Astronomical Society, a group of Cornell undergraduates, graduates and Ithaca citizens. The Society offers public viewing nights on Friday evenings when classes are in session.
The observatory is named after Estevan Fuertes.
[edit] Telescopes
North Campus. Fuertes Observatory is the white building in the lower left of the picture
The observatory contains a 12-inch refracting telescope with a mechanical clock drive operated by weights just like a grandfather clock. The drive is stable enough to allow the production of photographs of up to 20 minute duration without star trailing.
[edit] Nearby Observatories
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- "Fuertes Observatory," Cornell Department of Astronomy.
