Moore Observatory

Moore Observatory
Organization	University of Louisville
Location	Oldham County, Kentucky (USA)
Coordinates	38°20′40.00″N 85°31′44.00″W / 38.34444°N 85.52889°W / 38.34444; -85.52889
Altitude	230 m (754.593 ft)
Website astro.louisville.edu/moore/index.html
Telescopes Ritchie-Chretien Telescope 24 inch Corrected Dall Kirkham Telescope Planewave 20-inch Meade student Telescope 16-inch

Moore Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by University of Louisville. Dedicated in 1978, it is located on the Horner Wildlife Refuge in Oldham County, Kentucky (USA).

History

Moore Observatory is located on the 200 acre (0.8 km²) Horner Wildlife Refuge in Oldham County, Kentucky. The Horner Family donated this land to the University of Louisville in the early 1960s. Another 1000 acres (4 km²) of the original farm surrounds the preserve.

The observatory is named for Walter Lee Moore, Professor of Mathematics at UofL from 1929 to 1967. Dedication ceremonies were held on November 8, 1978 with introductions by Dr. John A. Dillon, then Vice President for Academic Affairs at UofL. The Moore Telescope dedication was made by Dr. John F. Kielkopf, who is the observatory's director.

Observing

Moore Observatory is a research and advanced teaching facility of the University of Louisville. The observatory operates four instruments at its Brownsboro site, and a companion telescope at Mount Kent near Toowoomba, Australia.

Telescopes

The 24-inch Ritchie Chretien telescope is a research instrument used by faculty and graduate students involved in studies of the optical properties of the atmosphere in the near infrared, and the development of imaging and spectroscopic technology.

A Wide Field Spectral Imager is also used for graduate student research work on the dust content of galactic nebulae, and occasionally for bright comet spectroscopy.

The 20-inch Corrected Dall-Kirkham telescopes at Moore Observatory and at Mount Kent are collaboratively operated by the University of Louisville and the University of Southern Queensland. They are primarily used for education, public astronomy outreach, and target of opportunity research. These telescopes are interfaced to Internet2, and are operated remotely by students from Kentucky schools, undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Louisville, and students of the University of Southern Queensland. This allows Kentucky students and UofL students to study the southern night sky during the day and the Australian students to study the northern night sky during their day.

A 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain is available for hands-on CCD (charge coupled device) imaging and photometry by interested students, trained visitors, and guests.

Other facilities are also available on Belknap Campus.

Clear Sky Clock

Clear Sky Clocks are astronomy-specific weather forecasts for specific observing locations, including Moore Observatory. They are graphic images that schematically represent astronomical observing conditions, for each hour during the next 48 hours. The clear sky clock for Moore Observatory is linked in the "external links" section below.

See also

• List of observatories

References

"Moore Observatory Homepage". University of Louisville Moore Observatory. http://www.astro.louisville.edu/moore/index.html. Retrieved December 14, 2005. 

External links

• Moore Observatory Clear Sky Clock Forecasts of observing conditions.