Yerkes Forty Incher is Back!

[StarHugger]

Last year I went on a trip to Yerkes Observatory as tours had begun again. I just had to get back there again even though the telescope was not available for private viewings, Yet..

I have observed through the 40 before when the University owned the properties years back and have been chomping at the bit to get my second chance at that experience.

So I get the email yesterday from my friend in management that private viewings of twelve people a night are now available and several nights are on the dockett for November, This is a chance of a lifetime for those lucky few...

Tickets and availabilities here, yerkesobservatory.org 140US per person and if there is cloud an alternative of looking through 10,000 slides from super famous astronomers and touring the depths of the unseen none public areas at Yerkes will be unveiled to the group.


I have to wait for the spring sessions for my wife and kids to particepate but couldent hold this news privately knowing someone here on TSS might take the advantage.

Dident know what would be a good thread for this, anywhere the admins decide is fine with me,

And best of Luck of Course Everyone!


Some shots from my visit last year...

[Ylem]

Wow!
It's like a Temple, an Astronomy Temple

[StarHugger]

Wow!
It's like a Temple, an Astronomy Temple

Yes it is, kind of an unofficial pilgrimage destination for refractor lovers and astro historians.

Cool the new owners are sharing it with us.

Here are some more...

[StarHugger]

A few more...

[Lady Fraktor]

A beautiful building and refractor.
Enjoy the visit when you go.

[AstroBee]

What a scope! I hope to be able to make it up to Chicago one day and visit.

[StarHugger]

What a scope! I hope to be able to make it up to Chicago one day and visit.

It was built by the University of Chigago in Williams Bay WI, far from the chiminy smoke and the glare of city lights.

The grounds are open to the public, there are gardens and trails too...

Arrive early, takes an hour or more just to walk around the observatory and soak up all the elaborate exterior architectures.

[helicon]

What a great opportunity that I hope you get to take. I am sure looking through it would be wonderful and an unforgettable astronomical experience. When I was a member of East Bay Astronomical Society the large refractor at the Chabot Observatory in the Oakland Hills sometimes was used for public viewing. Of course, the time when the scope had little light pollution to contend with was probably gone a century ago!

[StarHugger]

What a great opportunity that I hope you get to take. I am sure looking through it would be wonderful and an unforgettable astronomical experience. When I was a member of East Bay Astronomical Society the large refractor at the Chabot Observatory in the Oakland Hills sometimes was used for public viewing. Of course, the time when the scope had little light pollution to contend with was probably gone a century ago!

Cool that there are some bright objects up there for the older observatories to ponder at public or private viewings, I am about 2 hours from Yerkes by car so as long as they are allowing it I'll continue my periodic visits.

The kind of place that does that to an astronomer it is...

The Yerkes site is bortal 4.

[JSBach1801]

That's awesome! Wish I lived closer.

[Thefatkitty]

Yeah, that is definately on my bucket list... Thanks for the pics!

[StarBru]

The architecture is beautiful! Would love to have a look through that refractor, let alone see that refractor up close! What a great opportunity for you!

[StarHugger]

The architecture is beautiful! Would love to have a look through that refractor, let alone see that refractor up close! What a great opportunity for you!

Thanks Bruce,

The Yerkes Team has been hard at work with ongoing restorations, Candle light walks under the stars and even musical groups and an art gallery are in the works.

Such a place should have these goings on much like it did in the early years where it held a multitude of workman, students, professors and visitors...Even Einstein made a brief visit to examine the observatory and show his interest in the explorations of the universe his theories helped to describe.

Something like 17 seperate homes remain on the grounds that once housed staff as well the "Battleship" or the attic portion of the building itself between the domes with the small portholes hence the nautical description.

Lined with stacked bunks back in the day just as battleship sleeping quarters woud be, what it all must have been like to be part of such a grand study and at the place where galaxies first became known.

An earlier version of the same scope with the floor raised and original control hardware.

A few important ones out front...

[messier 111]

the architecture and the site are very pretty, thx.