Sherzer Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the campus of

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public university, public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal ...

. The observatory was established in 1903 with the construction of the new Natural Science Building, in

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti ( ), commonly shortened to Ypsi ( ), is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's popu ...

. Following a devastating fire in 1989 a new observatory opened in September 1991 with a apochromatic refractor telescope and German equatorial mount centered under a 6-meter dome.

History

The Michigan State Normal College received a gift from the citizens of Ypsilanti: a , $600 Alvan Clark

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 ...

. The original observatory was located on old Pierce Hall and was damaged by a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

and destroyed in 1893. It was then relocated to the roof of the new Natural Science Building in 1903. The building and observatory was later named after William Sherzer, a science professor at the school who conceived the design for the new building after seeing similar facilities on a visit to Germany. In 1928, a refractor telescope manufactured by telescope maker and amateur astronomer John Mellish was installed on a German equatorial mount built by physics professor Edwin Strong. The University Archives still has data produced by students using this telescope and the brass Negus transit telescope which shared the observatory with the Mellish refractor. In the 1970s and 1980s, members of the EMU student astronomy club made numerous updates and restorations to keep the aging observatory running. Almost half of Sherzer Hall was destroyed in a fire in 1989, including the original observatory. The university decided to rebuild. The new observatory opened in September 1991 with a apochromatic refractor telescope and German equatorial mount centered under a 6-meter dome. A classroom/computer lab was finished in 1997, and additional to telescopes, CCD cameras, and other equipment added to the inventory for student use. A secondary observatory with an automated SCT for CCD imaging was added to the rooftop level, becoming operational in 2008.

Sherzer Hall

Sherzer Hall is an academic building on the

campus, located in Ypsilanti,

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. Sherzer Hall is one of four buildings comprising the

Eastern Michigan University Historic District Eastern Michigan University Historic District is a U.S. historic district, historic district on the very south end of the Eastern Michigan University campus. Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university loca ...

on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The building was designed by E. W.. Arnold of Battle Creek and survived two fires.Eastern Michigan University, ‘’Vital statistics Regarding Campus Buildings’’ August 24, 1964, document in EMU Archives. Sherzer Hall has a red-brick exteriors Sherzer's exterior has a few mildly Romanesque and Georgian elements. Due to its unique style causes it to defies stylistic classification. Sherzer also is home to Sherzer Observatory which was established in 1878 and eventually moved to the top of Sherzer Hall in 1903.

Notes

References

# {{Portal bar, Michigan, Astronomy, Stars, Spaceflight, Outer space, Solar System, Education, Science Astronomical observatories in Michigan Buildings at Eastern Michigan University Buildings and structures completed in 1903 Tourist attractions in Washtenaw County, Michigan 1878 establishments in Michigan

History

Sherzer Hall

See also

Notes

References