Sherzer Observatory

Sherzer Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Eastern Michigan University located in Ypsilanti, Michigan (USA). Established in 1878 with a gift from the citizens of Ypsilanti of a four-inch, $600 Alvan Clark refractor, the observatory was hit by a tornado and destroyed in 1893. It was then relocated to the roof of the new Natural Science Building in 1903. The building was later named after William Sherzer.

In 1928, a 10-inch refractor was manufactured by telescope maker and amateur astronomer John Mellish and the University Archives still has data produced by students using this telescope and the brass Negus transit telescope which shared the observatory with the refractor.

In the 1970s and 1980's, members of the EMU student astronomy club made numerous updates and restorations to keep the aging observatory running. Then, in 1989 the observatory was again destroyed, this time by fire. 50% of the building was destroyed and all of the observatory fixtures.

The new observatory opened in September 1991 with a new dome and a computer controlled Meade SCT telescope.

See also

*List of observatories

References

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