沃纳天文台
外观
沃纳天文台 Warner Observatory | |||||
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位置 | 美国纽约州罗彻斯特 | ||||
座标 | 43°09′13″N 77°35′24″W / 43.15361°N 77.59000°W | ||||
海拔 | 511英尺(156米) | ||||
设立 | 1882年 | ||||
关闭 | 1893年 | ||||
望远镜 | |||||
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[编辑维基数据] |
沃纳天文台(英语:Warner Observatory)于1882年在纽约州罗彻斯特建筑完成,它是由柏特·哈林顿·沃纳提供经费,对美国天文学家路易斯·斯威夫特的赞助。
历史
[编辑]当时安装的16吋折射望远镜是由阿耳万·克拉克父子制造的,它花费了沃纳近百万的美金,但是在当时是全美国第四大的望远镜。
斯威夫特使用这个天文台研究彗星和星云,包括周期彗星11P/坦普尔-斯威夫特-林尼尔彗星。在每个星期四和星期五的黄昏,斯威夫特为在沃纳专营的医药商店购买25分门票的民众开放天文台。这是第一间对公众开放的天文台
在沃纳于1893年破产之后,斯威夫特将望远镜迁移至他的新伙伴,撒迪厄斯 S.C.罗,所在的加利福尼亚州回音山。而在当时,位于纽约的天文台因为周围被城市包围着,越来越没有前途。
天文台建筑的价值下跌并且闲置,在1901-1909年间,它被经营者作为弗农精神科学院和弗农疗养院。
在1920年这座建筑被封闭,并在1931年拆除被夷为平地。
在斯威夫特自己的笔记中可以找到对天文台的可靠记载:
- "…It is delightfully situated on the south side of East Avenue, one of the most beautiful and fashionable streets of this city. The building stands about one-third of a mile south of the University of Rochester, nearly one and one-half miles south of east of the Court House, a few steps west of the princely residence of Mr. H. H. Warner, on what fifty years ago was a dense forest. Its horizon is nearly unobstructed, in every direction, in some points forty miles distant being had. In nearly every outlook, woodland, field and meadow combine to produce most picturesque effect.
- The material used in its construction is white sandstone from Lockport--sixty miles west--and, unlike many varieties of this kind of stone, is free from red oxide of iron. The tower is circular in form, with a diameter of thirty-one feet, outside measurement. Its revolving dome is, of course, of the same diameter. This dome embodies some novel features, and in the matter of economy of construction, lightness, ease of revolution and simplicity of the device for rotating, leaves little to be desired."