“The place to study astronomy”

In March 1857, young Cleveland Abbe wrote to astronomers around the country, asking where he should study. The overwhelming answer: the observatory in Ann Arbor. After his time at the Detroit Observatory, Abbe went on to head the National Weather Bureau and to co-found the National Geographic Society.

Student transit I

In 1878, a small observatory was constructed 100 feet southeast of the Detroit Observatory, in anticipation of observing the transit of Mercury across the Sun, which occurred on May 8 of that year. This observatory was responsive to a program of the federal government to observe the transit and was temporarily made a U.S. Government Station.

James Craig Watson medal

As a man devoted to astronomy, James Craig Watson left the majority of his estate to the National Academy of Sciences after his passing. These resources were used to establish an award for outstanding contributions to astronomical science. The first of these prestigious James Craig Watson Medals, ironically, went to one of Watson’s chief rivals Benjamin Apthorp Gould in 1887. Thirty-eight awards later, it was awarded to Lisa Kewley for her study of galaxy collisions, cosmic chemical abundances, and the star-formation history of galaxies.

19th-century virtual reality

In the late 19th-century, stereographs were not only a tool for education in geography, astronomy, and other sciences but also a very popular form of entertainment. These stereoscopic slides gave a 3D effect when viewed through a handheld stereoscope, providing a plethora of new perspectives. This stereograph of the Meridian Circle Telescope at the Detroit Observatory was probably taken in the 1890s.

Student transit II

After observation of the transit of Mercury in 1878, the observatory grounds were returned to University control. Previously, this land had served as a U.S. Government Station. Upon the grounds being returned, the government provided the transit telescope to the observatory and it was remodeled as a student observatory. This was much to the delight of students, who had previously complained about the lack of adequate telescope access. The transit telescope has been on display since the Detroit Observatory’s reopening.

National recognition of the Detroit Observatory

On May 7, 1859, Frank Leslie’s Weekly magazine listed the Detroit Observatory as one of three leading observatories in the U.S., commenting “within the same space of time, no one of the three has accomplished more [than the Detroit Observatory].”

The Fitz Refractor gets a new tube

The original tube of the Fitz telescope, as delivered in 1857, was constructed of pine wood with a mahogany veneer. In 1907, the wooden tube was replaced with a steel tube, which provided the increased rigidity that the newer technologies of astrophotography and spectroscopy required. The photo here was taken inside one of these steel tubes. Although rumors persisted for many years that the old wooden tube was stored in a dormitory basement, it was never found.

2019 cistern discovery

In 2019, construction crews excavating for the Observatory’s addition discovered a forgotten cistern on the south side of the building. The cistern — 10 feet in diameter and 12 feet deep — contained 4000 gallons of water that had to be pumped out and trucked off site. The construction date of the cistern and what was connected to it remain unknown.