Last month, I was at the Cincinnati Observatory for a Star Gazers season finale party for former host and the observatory's resident outreach astronomer Dean Regas. From some of the episodes that I've watched, Dean has a gift of delivering astronomy with his good-natured Cincinnati hometown flavor. Bummed to see him leave the show but happy for him on his podcast Looking Up; he is still going to deliver that same down home Cincinnati flavor.
Today, I just couldn't resist! The awesome brisk weather just pulled me to do a more in depth tour of the observatory. With its serene park like setting, I'm calling this another one of my happy places!
Considered the Birthplace of American Astronomy, the original observatory was established in Mount Ida, named after a local washerwoman. It was built by Ormsby M. Mitchel, with the cornerstone being laid by our 6th U.S. president, John Quincy Adams in 1843, who also gave the speech at the grand opening.
Due to the air pollution in Cincinnati proper, the observatory was moved to its current location in Mt Lookout in 1873.
It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997.
My tour guide Carl lead the tours in both the Herget Building, named after Dr. Paul Herget, an early director of the observatory, and the O.M. Mitchel Building, named for the founder of the observatory. Herget developed what is now an iconic American snack-keep reading to find out!
The rundown of the visit:
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| Herget Building, main observatory |
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| Paul D. Nohr Sundial Memorial |
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| Alvin Clark & sons 16" refractor, 1904, Herget Building |
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| Another view of the Alvin Clark & Sons 16" refractor |
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| O.M. Mitchell Building |
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| 12" Mertz und Mahler Telescope, 1845, O.M. Mitchell Building |
Tip: To help make the most of the visit, there are planetary markers on the west side of the property to depict each planet's distance from the sun!
I was looking for the remaining two markers for Uranus and Neptune; didn't care about Pluto as it is no longer considered a planet. I looked for about ten minutes for the other two markers but finally gave up, but if you happen to find them, kudos!
Now, some black history:
George Robert Carruthers is an African American inventor, physicist, engineer, and space scientist. He is best known for inventing the ultraviolet camera/spectograph for NASA to use when Apollo 16 launched in 1972. He was born right here in Cincy, and when he was a child his family lived in Milford, just about 12 miles from downtown Cincy. He currently teaches a two semester course in Earth and Space Science at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Oh, I didn't forget...
This hyperbolic paraboloid has become the snack of icons that we know today, and we all can thank Herget for this! He designed the Pringles potato chips based on his orbit work in astronomy. The signature shape is user friendly and helps keep the chips intact during shipping. Now, did I blow you away with this one? 😆
More great ways to experience the observatory is to do the nighttime Astronomy Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and Late Night Date Nights. Each of these are lead by an astronomer and includes guided stargazing, weather permitting. If history is your jam, Sunday Historical Tours are also available. So, Cincinnati, if you need a release from the everyday, please check this place out! This is now one of my happy places, and it can be yours, too!
Until my next adventure, keep lookin' up!
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