The Lowell Astronomy Discovery Center is a multi-million dollar museum and activity center focused on bringing the universe to adults and children in a completely new and breathtaking way. Credit: David J. Eicher
On Saturday, November 16, in Flagstaff, Arizona, the world of astronomy changed a bit.
The Lowell Observatory has long been a beacon of history in the cosmic universe. Here, in 1894, Boston Brahmin Percival Lowell founded an institution to study the heavens from the far west. Here he famously studied Mars, one of his early obsessions, believing it was crisscrossed by channels indicating an alien civilization. Here one of Lowell’s associates, Vesto M. Slipher, employed his famous spectrograph with the observatory’s 24-inch Clark refractor to find that most of the “spiral nebulae,” as they were known in 1912, were receding l ‘from each other. This was the first key to understanding that the universe is expanding. And here, in 1930, a young astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto with a 13-inch astrographic camera.
Lowell Observatory has become known as a modern and ambitious observatory with a comprehensive array of research projects in all areas from the solar system to distant galaxies. It built a 4.3-meter instrument, the Lowell Discovery Telescope, and employs a number of expert astronomers. It is a rare gem that advances such far-reaching research objectives and profound historical documentation that it continues to fascinate visitors to this day. Much of the current progress at Lowell has recently been overseen by executive director Jeff Hall, who just retired, passing the baton to fellow astronomer Amanda Bosh. And the observatory’s programs are overseen in all respects by Lowell Putnam, the sole trustee, who is the great-grandson of Percival Lowell.
The Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center
Now, the Lowell Observatory has entered the most exciting phase of its 130-year history. On November 16, the observatory hosted approximately 1,000 people who flocked to Mars Hill for the grand opening of the Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center (ADC), a unique and absolutely stunning museum facility unlike anything else in the world.
I must say that for several years I have had the privilege of serving on Lowell’s advisory board and find it exhilarating to be involved in such a unique place for astronomy. Upon entering the ADC for the first time, I was amazed, even after seeing photos of the facility. The 3,700 square meter building looks like a behemoth and caters to all levels of visitor experience.
The building’s atrium features a sculpture and multimedia screens that follow the origin of life on Earth, from the simple combination of atoms on the ceiling, to videos of creatures below. Numerous exhibit halls allow visitors to experience all aspects of astronomy with interactive displays and activities, and children who visit Lowell will now go crazy with joy as they play and learn in the Orbits Curiosity Zone. The building’s main theater is unlike any other on the planet, its main screen boasting 60 million pixels for extraordinary views of the universe and simulations and animations that will bring the cosmos to life. Numerous auditoriums allow for speeches of various sizes by distinguished speakers who will visit the Hill.
And perhaps the most beautiful of all? The roof of the building features a “planetarium” that will allow for shows under real skies, complete with heated seats. It seems the team responsible for building this stunning new facility has thought of everything.
And of course the long-standing features of the Lowell Observatory are available to visitors, as always. The historic 24-inch Clark refractor, the main instrument, was fundamental to Lowell’s extraordinary and interesting observations of Mars and many other targets. The Pluto Camera, with which Tombaugh discovered that distant body in 1930, still stands. The grounds are lined with paths and statues, and a long walk around the hill allows visitors to discover many things to learn from. The Collections Center holds countless treasures from the archives that include Percival Lowell’s Big Red Car, VM Slipher’s spectrograph, a letter from Ringo Starr thanking astronomers for his named asteroid, Percival Lowell’s personal artifacts, and much more.
A trip to the Lowell Observatory should be on the bucket list of everyone interested in the night sky. Especially now, more than ever, Lowell is clearly America’s Observatory. You can learn more on the observatory’s website at lowell.edu.
