Grant O. Gale Observatory
Encyclopedia
Grant O. Gale Observatory is an astronomical
observatory
owned and operated by Grinnell College
Department of Physics. Robert Cadmus http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/physics/faculty/cadmus/ typically observes. The observatory is located in Grinnell
, Iowa
(USA). Constructed in 1984, it is named after Grant O. Gale
, a distinguished teacher and curator of the Grinnell Physics Historical Museum. Designed by Woodburn and O'Neil of Des Moines, the building is a 38-foot by 55-foot structure rising 26 feet to the top of the dome. It houses a 24-inch Cassegrain reflecting telescope
and two computer systems: the first controls the telescope and the second accommodates data acquisition and analysis and can be used to store television images. In addition to its primary function as an instructional and research tool, the observatory is also a facility for public viewing of astronomical phenomena under staff supervision.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
owned and operated by Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
Department of Physics. Robert Cadmus http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/physics/faculty/cadmus/ typically observes. The observatory is located in Grinnell
Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,218 at the 2010 census. Grinnell was named after Josiah Bushnell Grinnell and is the home of Grinnell College.- History :...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
(USA). Constructed in 1984, it is named after Grant O. Gale
Grant O. Gale
Grant Oscar Gale was a professor of physics at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. In 1928 Gale came to the college as an instructor in physics, and eventually became Professor of Physics...
, a distinguished teacher and curator of the Grinnell Physics Historical Museum. Designed by Woodburn and O'Neil of Des Moines, the building is a 38-foot by 55-foot structure rising 26 feet to the top of the dome. It houses a 24-inch Cassegrain reflecting telescope
Cassegrain reflector
The Cassegrain reflector is a combination of a primary concave mirror and a secondary convex mirror, often used in optical telescopes and radio antennas....
and two computer systems: the first controls the telescope and the second accommodates data acquisition and analysis and can be used to store television images. In addition to its primary function as an instructional and research tool, the observatory is also a facility for public viewing of astronomical phenomena under staff supervision.
External links
- Grant O. Gale Observatory Clear Sky Clock Forecasts of observing conditions.