Lowell Observatory

We mentioned Cheryl and Dave’s friend Michael is an astronomer.  He is the deputy director of the Lowell Observatory, the place where Pluto was discovered.

We took a group tour of the Clark Building where we saw the Lowell telescope.

 Percival Lowell was the son of textile mill owners from Lowell, MA.  As a child he received a telescope as a gift.    This was his first telescope.

 As an adult he bought the larger telescope and searched for sites that were best for viewing the sky.  In 1894 he established the observatory in Flagstaff to search for life on Mars.  Although they never found life on Mars, the observatory was the site of many astronomical discoveries.  V. M. Slipher saw through the large telescope that stars move leading to the notion of an expanding universe.  Pluto came later.

The dome for this observatory was built by the Sykes brothers, owners of a bicycle shop.  The dome rotates on tires from 1949 Fords.

Outside the observatory is the mausoleum of Percival and his wife, Constance.  Percival died in 1916.

His heirs continue to run the foundation

Lowell's beloved car, called "Big Red" is stored in the Putnam Collection Center together with his books and other personal items.

The walk leading to the Pluto Dome is lined with busts of

Lowell

 V. M. Slipher

Clyde Trumbaugh

Michael gave us a personal tour of the Dome where we saw the telescope through which Trumbaugh sighted Pluto by studying photo plates.

After a delicious dinner and pleasant evening with Michael and Cheryl, we returned to the RV for our highlight destination, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.