Goodsell Observatory
From CarlWiki
Goodsell Observatory is one of the oldest buildings on Carleton's campus. It is on the National Register of Historical Places. It formerly housed the Astronomy Department and later the Mathematics and Astronomy Department. Then it housed the Mathematics and Computer Science Department until the CMC was built. It is now home to the Linguistics Department.
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Astronomical holdings
The larger dome contains a 16" refractor, and the smaller dome contains an 8" refractor. When the 16" telescope was installed in 1890, it was the 12th largest in the world. Goodsell was also an important site for astronomy in the late 19th century because of its transit telescope, which it used to set time for railroads throughout the northwest.
The 16" and 8" telescopes are still used regularly during open houses, which occur on the first Friday of every month. Goodsell also contains modern 8" telescopes, which are used for classes and open houses. During observations, they are mounted on stands located on the east lawn of the observatory.
In addition, Goodsell houses the school's meteorite collection. A major addition to the collection came from Harvey H. Nininger, who gave them to pay for his daughter's tuition, Margaret Ann Nininger '46. He had made similar arrangements with Amherst and Grinnell for other children.
Public viewing
Weather permitting, an open house is held at Goodsell on the first Friday of the month, beginning after dark and lasting for two hours. The upcoming schedule can be visited here. This open house is open to the public as well as to Carleton students.
See also
Sources
- Greene, Mark. "A Science Not Earthbound: A Brief History of Astronomy at Carleton College."
- Goodsell:=Museum at the Cobwebs conference on Caucus (NetID required). February 1, 1999.
