The Goodricke-Pigott Observatory is a private
astronomical observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. H ...
in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
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.
It was formally dedicated on October 26, 1996, and observations began that evening with imaging of
Comet Hale–Bopp.
The observatory is named after
John Goodricke and
Edward Pigott
Edward Pigott (1753–1825) was an English astronomer notable for being one of the founders of the study of variable stars.
Biography
Son of the astronomer Nathaniel Pigott, Pigott's work focused on variable stars. Educated in France wit ...
, two late-eighteenth century
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...
s who lived in
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, England.
Observatory telescopes
The observatory opened with a Celestron C14, 0.35-meter aperture, f/11 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. This instrument has been upgraded with a new optics lens and a new clock drive, and an ST-4 star tracker was attached to the telescope's side to correct a two-minute, ten-arc second periodic motional error. There is another telescope dubbed MOTESS (Moving Object and Transient Event Search System) which is essentially a giant camera aimed at the sky.
See also
*
List of astronomical observatories
This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in ...
*
Roy A. Tucker
References
{{Portal bar, Arizona, Astronomy, Stars, Spaceflight, Outer space, Solar System, Education, Science
Astronomical observatories in Arizona
Buildings and structures in Tucson, Arizona
Minor-planet discovering observatories