The historic 24 -inch Clark refractor to the Lowell Observatory was used for countless important observations, including the discovery of recessive speed for galaxies and the existence of the interstellar medium. Credit: David J. Eicher
I spent part of last week in one of my favorite places, Flagstaff, Arizona, at the Lowell Observatory. This historical institution is well known and, as I have previously written, has a unique place in the history of American science. Founded in 1894 by the explorer and scientist of Boston Percival Lowell, the institution has a combination unlike other observers. He has a great story, with the famous observations of Lowell, the revolutionary discoveries of VM Slipher on the expansion of the cosmos and the interstellar medium and, of course, the discovery of Plutone of Clyde Tombaugh.
Far from a museum, however, Lowell is imbued with current and avant -garde research. You may have read my story a few days ago in which I described a night of observation of many of us with the Lowell Discovery Telescope of 4.3 meters, which saw the first light in 2012. The Observatory also manages the main telescopes on a site called Anderson Mesa, near Flagstaff. The staff of the Observatory is made up of 14 astronomers in a large diffusion of research areas, 17 researchers, a series of research doctorate. students and a large support staff. The combination of significant research with the substantial history of Lowell makes it a very special place.
In recent years, the Observatory has collected a huge amount of money and has been reconstructed, with a large center of discovering astronomy as well as historical telescopes and other structures on Mars Hill. The main among the attractions is the 24 -inch Clark refractor used for so many famous observations in the past and the 13 -inch Pluto Discovery Telescope or the Pluto camera as it has been known. The Open Giovale deck observatory has more large tools that visitors can use to see the moon, planets and deep sky objects under a dark sky. And the planetarium and the theatrical structures, as well as exhibitions and displays in the center, are surprising: the visit to Lowell has enormously increased this year, after the opening of the new center.
With the sudden cuts to funding and the removal of many subsidies, however, the Observatory is located in a difficult place, in particular after the recent financial lifting of reconstruction and reinventing Lowell as a new important scientific center and activity center for so many visitors.
Faced with federal cuts in research and education, Lowell is trying to move forward. Therefore, donors are now necessary to help with the immediate future of the institution. If you are able to do it, you urge you to help by contacting and contributing to Lowell. This is not a time for science in the United States to march backwards, vanish and give the main efforts to other parts of the world. It would follow the beginning of a dark era to come to this country, and perhaps for science in general.
If you can help in this important moment, please do it. You can contact Lowell to give a hand by sending an e-mail to Donate@lowell.edu or calling (928) 268-2924. Subsequently, you will have the wonderful feeling of knowing that you have helped science to continue as it should in a very critical moment in American history.
Note of the editor: This story has been updated to include the first light date for the Discovery telescope and the correct number of astronomers of the observatory staff.
