C. E. K. Mees Observatory is an

astronomical Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, ...

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 ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, owned and operated by the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants Undergraduate education, undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Doctorate, do ...

. The observatory is named after C. E. Kenneth Mees, "in honor of his pioneering work in the development of sensitive photographic emulsions for use in astronomy." The site possesses a 24 in (61 cm)

Cassegrain telescope The Cassegrain reflector is a combination of a primary concave mirror and a secondary convex mirror, often used in optical telescopes and radio antennas, the main characteristic being that the optical path folds back onto itself, relative to th ...

on an English-style

telescope mount A telescope mount is a mechanical structure which supports a telescope. Telescope mounts are designed to support the mass of the telescope and allow for accurate pointing of the instrument. Many sorts of mounts have been developed over the year ...

in a two-story dome in addition to a 12 in (31 cm) Orion SkyQuest Dobsonian, an inoperative 6 in (15 cm) Newtonian reflector on a German

equatorial mount An equatorial mount is a mount for instruments that compensates for Earth's rotation by having one rotational axis, the polar axis, parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation. This type of mount is used for astronomical telescopes and cameras. Th ...

, and a 6 in

refractor A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptric telescope). The refracting telescope design was originally used in spyglasses and ...

used as a guide telescope. The observatory is notable as a premier location for astronomical observation in Ontario county due to the low levels of light pollution and relative elevation, given that it is situated on the highest point in Ontario county. The observatory also boasts a vacation home run by the University of Rochester which is used for public outreach, University faculty retreats, and astronomers who stay the night. The public is welcome to come on free public tours of the observatory during the summer. The tour website may be found in the external links section below.

References

External links

C.E.K. Mees Observatory Clear Sky Clock
Forecasts of observing conditions
Mees Observatory Tours
Sign up for a free public tour on summer weekends. Astronomical observatories in New York (state) University of Rochester Buildings and structures in Ontario County, New York Tourist attractions in Ontario County, New York {{US-observatory-stub

See also

References

External links