- Bradley Observatory
Infobox Observatory
name = Bradley Observatory
caption = Bradley Observatory entrance and dome.
organization =Agnes Scott College
location =Decatur, Georgia
coords = coord|33|45|54.84|N|84|17|38.98|W| [cite web| url=http://bradley.agnesscott.edu/facilities.html| title=Bradley Observatory - Facilities| author=Department of Physics and Astronomy,Agnes Scott College | accessdate=October 16| accessyear=2007| ]
altitude = 315.27 m (1034.37 ft) [ [http://bradley.agnesscott.edu/images/floorplate.jpgU.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey traverse station at Bradley] . RetrievedOctober 16 ,2007 .]
weather =
established = 1950
closed =
website= [http://bradley.agnesscott.edu/ bradley.agnesscott.edu]
telescope1_name = BeckTelescope
telescope1_type = 0.76 meter Cassegrain reflector optical
telescope2_name =
telescope2_type =
telescope3_name =
telescope3_type =
telescope4_name =
telescope4_type = The Bradley Observatory is an astronomicalobservatory owned and operated byAgnes Scott College . It is located in Decatur, Georgia, convert|5|mi|km east ofAtlanta , Georgia, (USA). The observatory's largest telescope, the Beck Telescope, is a vintage 30 inch (750 mm)Cassegrain reflector built in 1930. The telescope was owned and operated by an amateur astronomer, Mr. Gibson. He offered the telescope for sale, seeking to upgrade his own telescope. Agnes Scott purchased it in 1947 for about $15,000. For many years, the Beck telescope was the largest in the Southeast United States, until theFernbank Observatory opened in 1972 with its convert|36|in|mm|sing=on telescope. [Lecture by Chris De Pree, "Sixty Years of Amateur Astronomy," November 9, 2007 ]The observatory was built in order to house the Beck telescope and was dedicated in 1950. [cite web| url=http://bradley.agnesscott.edu/| title=Bradley Observatory homepage| author=Bradley Observatory| accessdate=December 16| accessyear=2005|] It also houses faculty offices and a planetarium. The observatory is a contributing structure within the National Register
South Candler Street-Agnes Scott College Historic District .See also
*
List of observatories References
External links
* [http://cleardarksky.com/c/AtlantaGAkey.html?1 Altanta Clear Sky Clock] Forecasts of observing conditions covering Bradley Observatory.
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