The Cincinnati Observatory, located in Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

 (USA) on top of Mt. Lookout

Mt. Lookout, Ohio

Mount Lookout, Ohio is one of the Eastern neighborhoods of Cincinnati, just northwest of Linwood and overlooking the Little Miami River valley. The neighborhood is named for the Mount Lookout Observatory, which is operated by the University of Cincinnati physics department.Mount Lookout's lively...

. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11 inch (28 cm) and 16 inch (41 cm) aperture refracting telescope

Refracting telescope

A refracting or refractor telescope is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image . The refracting telescope design was originally used in spy glasses and astronomical telescopes but is also used for long focus camera lenses...

. It is the oldest professional observatory

Observatory

An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It was a key facility for astronomical research and education at the University of Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....

 and is still owned by the university. The observatory currently operates as a 19th century observatory. There are regular viewings through both historical telescopes as well as tours and additional programs. The observatory also has an extensive outreach program, providing astronomical education for the Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana region.

The Cincinnati Observatory is a contributing property to the Observatory Historic District

Observatory Historic District

Observatory Historic District is a registered historic district in Cincinnati, Ohio, listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1978. It contains 10 contributing buildings....

.

History

Cincinnati Observatory was built by Ormsby M. Mitchel

Ormsby M. Mitchel

Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel was an American astronomer and major general in the American Civil War....

 atop Mount Ida

Mount Adams

Mount Adams may refer to any of several mountains in the United States, and one each in Australia, Antarctica and New Zealand:* Mount Adams * Mount Adams, New Zealand* Mount Adams...

, a hill that overlooks downtown Cincinnati. The cornerstone was laid on November 9, 1843, and presiding over the occasion was former President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...

. At 77 years old, it was to be his last public speech, and Mount Ida was renamed to Mount Adams

Mount Adams, Ohio

Mt. Adams is a geographic landmark and residential neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, located directly east of downtown Cincinnati, south of Walnut Hills, south-west of East Walnut Hills, and west of the East End....

 in his honor.

In 1871, the Observatory came under the control of the University of Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....

 and in 1873 it was moved from Mt. Adams to Mt. Lookout, where it remains today. In 1998 the Observatory became a National Historic Landmark.

The asteroid

Asteroid

Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...

 1373 Cincinnati

1373 Cincinnati

1373 Cincinnati is a Main belt asteroid. It has a somewhat irregular orbit. Otherwise it is probably a typical member of the belt.Cincinnati was discovered by the famous US astronomer Edwin Hubble on August 30, 1935. It was his only asteroid discovery. It is named after the Cincinnati Observatory,...

 was named to honor the staff of the observatory.

Instruments

• The 1843 Merz und Mahler 11 inch refractor – Housed in the "Mitchel Building". May be the oldest continually used telescope in the world. It is currently used for public education programs.
• The 1904 Alvan Clark & Sons
  Alvan Clark & Sons
  Alvan Clark & Sons was an American maker of optics that became famous for crafting lenses for some of the largest refracting telescopes of the 19th and early 20th centuries...
  
  16 inch refractor – Housed in the "Main Building". Used in public education programs and graduate research.

External links

• Cincinnati Observatory Center
• Cincinnati Observatory Center Clear Sky Clock Forecasts of observing conditions.
• Merz und Mahler telescope photos