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Last updated on Wednesday, August 6, 2014
(BLOOMINGTON) - The Kirkwood Observatory will host an open house tonight at 10 p.m.
Due to Daylight Savings Time, the sky is not dark enough for observing with the telescope until late in the evening, thus the open house was scheduled as early as possible to still have a sky dark enough to view with the Kirkwood telescope.
The open houses may be cancelled on short-notice due to unfavorable weather conditions. No reservations are required.
Kirkwood Observatory, at 727 East Third St., is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Indiana University.
It is named for Daniel Kirkwood (1814 - 1895) an astronomer and professor of mathematics at Indiana University who discovered the divisions of the asteroid belt known as the Kirkwood Gaps.
Built in 1900 and dedicated on May 15, 1901, the observatory was thoroughly renovated during the 2001-2002 academic year.
Although the facility is no longer used for research, its original refracting telescope, built by Warner & Swasey Company with a 12-inch (0.3m) Brashear objective lens, also received a complete restoration.
The telescope is now used regularly for outreach events and occasionally for undergraduate-level classes.
For updated weather conditions and closings call the Kirkwood Observatory Hotline at (812) 855-7736.
Complete Kirkwood Observatory Open House Schedule 2014:
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
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