[written by hipster-doofus]
Open House at UVa’s Leander McCormick Observatory is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, last night I gathered up some fellow villains (sorry, two0four) and made an outing of it.
Located atop aptly named O-Hill on the western edge of Grounds, McCormick Observatory, when built in 1885 housed the largest telescope in the nation, and second largest on earth. Though still in use for scientific purposes, the telescope and observatory itself are virtually unchanged since, and offer a glimpse not just of far-distant heavenly bodies, but of the 19th century technology they sprang from.
Open house hours in the winter are 7-9pm [two hours later other seasons] which may account for all of the children there last night, in fact the crowd as a whole was surprisingly large with perhaps 100 people present. In addition to the large telescope(26.25 in.), which visitors are able to view through (trained on Mars last night, which due to atmospheric activity was a bit shaky), the facility includes a small museum, talks by astronomy department personnel at 7 and 8, and two smaller telescopes on the grounds outside. While waiting to use the large telescope (about an hour in line last night due to the crowd) we were entertained with information, history and trivia by the astronomer on duty, which made the cold wait more pleasant. We even had the pleasure of having the dome rotate 180 degrees during our stay in line as Mars ascendancy required viewing through another of the three shutters in the roof. While we’ve all been spoiled by the fantastic images available from Hubble and other modern sources and as a result even the large telescope’s power (17,225 x the human eye) can seem just a little underwhelming, I plan to return when the moon is in view, as it would undoubtedly provide a more stunning experience than far-off Mars.
All in all, I think it’s a great pre-drinks Friday night destination for a dose of education, or even a pre/post dinner date spot? I’m sure I’ll be back. For current information on what one may find in the night sky, the Washington Post’s Sky Watch column is a great resource also.
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Tagged as: Activities, Central Virginia, Charlottesville, University of Virginia, UVA, Virginia
I forgive you, a little.
But for that non-invite incident, i will not pretend that I can’t beat you in poker, now the mittens come off…
as an addendum: Visitors who live nearby might think, on warm and/or clear night, that walking to the observatory is a fine idea. I certainly won’t discourage you from walking, because the views of the city sprawling out below O-Hill are pretty awesome, if not the scenic water treatment facility and the scenic construction cones, etc.
However, I recommend bringing a flashlight or waiting for a full moon. It is like walking up a mountain with a blindfold on, with only the wintry wind in the trees providing very creepy company. On the plus side, the walk is just strenuous enough to ward off the cold.
hipster, this is a great post. thank you so much for writing, it’s something I was not aware of, believe it or not!
Y’all missed a bitchin’ meteor shower the other day btw!
I agree with mc. I drove up there one time and it was so dark, I couldn’t even figure out where the parking lot is.
Perfect description of the evening, H-D. It is a trip well worth making. Totally cool, in fact. One tidbit we learned that hips didn’t share: The movement of the atmosphere (which causes mars to appear shaky) also affects the stars, thus, the twinkle from “twinkle, twinkle little star” Also be advised, when viewing from the small telescopes outside, do not take it upon yourself to clean the lens … with your wool sweater. I have never seen scientist so pissed!. I was lucky to get out of there alive. I kid you not.
another fun fact: the astronomy department are really big Lord of the Rings fans. According to one of their exhibits, the one ring is made of gold atoms recycled from around the universe… at least, I think that’s what they’re trying to say, the display was a bit confusing. The live talks were amazingly affective and didn’t have me questioning elvish jewelry construction.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that we worked out a sweet deal for the rest of you villains: tell the staff that you heard about them here and the admission is FREE!
So, between reading this post and experiencing the beautiful weather we are having, I’m thinking of trying to do some non-observatory aided stargazing tomorrow or Wednesday night. Where would be a nice out-of-the-way spot to do that around here?
Tim, you need a clear area where you can see lots of sky, and be away from city lights. I like Beaver Creek Reservoir. If its not locked up, Carters Mountain is good too. There’s also a middle school down 20 south, off Red Hill Rd., Walton Mid. Sch.? thats a good spot as well.
Brown’s Mountain used to be a great spot, too. Lament.
Have you gossip hounds gossiped about what’s going on there?
[…] you need to get outside around 10PM to watch this thing. Does anyone know if O-Hill is doing something special tomorrow night? Detailed information and an instructional picture after […]
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