Moore 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 ...
owned and operated by
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...
(U of L). It is located on the Horner Wildlife Refuge in
Oldham County,
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...
(USA) approximately northeast of
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
. It opened in 1978, and was dedicated to Walter Lee Moore, a Professor of Mathematics at U of L from 1929 to 1967.
Moore Observatory is a research and advanced teaching facility of the University of Louisville. The observatory operates two research telescopes at the site, and a companion telescope at Mount Kent near
Toowoomba
Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 ...
,
Australia. The observatory is located on the Horner Wildlife Refuge. The Horner Family donated this land to the U of L in the early 1960s and another of the original farm surrounds the preserve.
Telescopes
* A
Ritchey–Chrétien telescope
A Ritchey–Chrétien telescope (RCT or simply RC) is a specialized variant of the Cassegrain telescope that has a hyperbolic primary mirror and a hyperbolic secondary mirror designed to eliminate off-axis optical errors (coma). The RCT has a ...
manufactured by
RC Optical Systems
RC Optical Systems was a high-end American telescope and optics manufacturer that specialized in Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes with hyperbolic mirrors. RC also made related mounts and systems for the telescopes, with a focus on open and close ...
was installed in August 2006. It is currently used to measure
transiting exoplanets.
Other research performed with the telescope includes observing the physical process of
nebula
A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regio ...
.
* A
Ritchey–Chrétien telescope
A Ritchey–Chrétien telescope (RCT or simply RC) is a specialized variant of the Cassegrain telescope that has a hyperbolic primary mirror and a hyperbolic secondary mirror designed to eliminate off-axis optical errors (coma). The RCT has a ...
manufactured by
RC Optical Systems
RC Optical Systems was a high-end American telescope and optics manufacturer that specialized in Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes with hyperbolic mirrors. RC also made related mounts and systems for the telescopes, with a focus on open and close ...
on a altitude-azimuth mount was added in 2019. It is primarily used for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite observations, for near Earth object (NEO) characterization.
* A
modified Dall–Kirkham telescope
The Modified Dall-Kirkham telescope utilizes an elliptical primary and spherical secondary mirror as in the conventional Dall-Kirkham configuration, but also includes a lens group (usually two or three lens elements) ahead of the focal point to im ...
built by Planewave Instruments is at
Mount Kent Observatory
Mount Kent Observatory near Toowoomba, in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, is an observatory owned and operated by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). It is the only professional astronomical research observatory in ...
in Queensland, Australia.
* Two identical
modified Dall–Kirkham telescope
The Modified Dall-Kirkham telescope utilizes an elliptical primary and spherical secondary mirror as in the conventional Dall-Kirkham configuration, but also includes a lens group (usually two or three lens elements) ahead of the focal point to im ...
s at Moore Observatory and at Mount Kent are collaboratively operated by U of L and the
University of Southern Queensland
The University of Southern Queensland (branded as UniSQ and formerly branded as USQ) is a medium-sized, regional university based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, with three university campuses at Toowoomba, Springfield and Ipswich. It of ...
(USQ).
They were built by Planewave Instruments and installed in 2006. They are used for education, public astronomy outreach, and target of opportunity research. The telescopes are interfaced to
Internet2
Internet2 is a not-for-profit United States computer networking consortium led by members from the research and education communities, industry, and government. The Internet2 consortium administrative headquarters are located in Ann Arbor, M ...
, and are operated remotely by students from Kentucky public schools, undergraduate and graduate students at U of L, and students at USQ. This arrangement allows students to study the southern night sky during the day and the Australian students to study the northern night sky during their day.
See also
*
Morgan–Monroe Observatory
The Morgan–Monroe Observatory, also known as the Morgan–Monroe Station of Goethe Link Observatory, is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Indiana University. It is located in Indiana's Morgan–Monroe State Forest approximatel ...
*
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 ...
References
External links
Department of Physics and Astronomyat the University of Louisville
Forecasts of observing conditions.
{{Portal bar, Astronomy, Stars, Spaceflight, Outer space, Solar System, Education, Science
Astronomical observatories in Kentucky
University of Louisville
Buildings and structures in Oldham County, Kentucky
Scientific organizations established in 1978
1978 establishments in Kentucky
Buildings and structures completed in 1978