The Maria Mitchell Observatory in Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA, was founded in 1908 and named in honor of Maria Mitchell, the first American woman astronomer. It is a major component of the Maria Mitchell Association. The Observatory actually consists of two observatories - the main Maria Mitchell Observatory near downtown Nantucket and the Loines Observatory about a kilometer west of town. It is also the repository for a valuable collection of over 8000 wide-field (13° x 16°) glass photographic plates, recording observations of large swaths of sky from 1913 to 1995.
Loines Observatory of the Maria Mitchell Association
The observatory has extensive public education and research programs. For more than 50 years, the observatory has offered summer research internships in astronomy and astrophysics for undergraduate students, funded by the National Science Foundation. The importance of this work was recognized with a 2009 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, given by President Barack Obama to the Maria Mitchell Association.[1][2]
The two observatories consist of three domed telescopes. The Vestal street location houses research offices as well as the 17-inch Plane Wave Dall-Kirkham telescope. This telescope was installed in 2008 after the completion of the Loines Observatory. The Loines Observatory houses the historic 7.5-inch Alvan Clark refractor, which is used for public stargazing. At this location there is also the larger 24-inch Richey-Chretian reflecting telescope, installed in 2006, which has been made accessible for public tours. Both the 17-inch and the 24-inch telescopes are also used for research year round.
Regina Jorgenson became the Director of the Maria Mitchell Observatory in January, 2016.[3] She received her PhD in physics from the University of California in San Diego, for a thesis on physical conditions in damped Lyman-alpha systems. Prior to becoming the director at Maria Mitchell, she held the following positions: postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute of Astronomy (IoA), University of Cambridge, UK (2008-2011); NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Astronomy (IfA), University of Hawai`i at Manoa (2011-2014), and Visiting Professor at Willamette University, Oregon (2014-2015). In 2014 she published with coauthors an estimate of the primordial abundance of deuterium.[4]
Astronomer Gary Walker is the observatory's telescope engineer. An aeronautical engineer by training, he has spent more than 30 years observing, building telescopes and observatories, photographing the heavens, and making photometric measurements of variable stars with CCD cameras. He is a past president of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) and currently holds the office of secretary of the organization.
^"President Honors Outstanding Science, Math, Engineering Teachers and Mentors". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved July 9, 2009 – via National Archives.
^"Maria Mitchell Association at the White House". Inquirer and Mirror. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
^""New Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association" | Maria Mitchell Association". www.mariamitchell.org. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
^Precision measures of the primordial abundance of deuterium
Further reading
Hoffleit, Dorritt (2001). "Maria Mitchell Observatory — For Astronomical Research and Public Enlightenment". Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. 30 (1): 62–93.
External links
Maria Mitchell Association
Nantucket Island Clear Sky Clock Forecasts of observing conditions covering MMA's observatories.
maria, mitchell, observatory, nantucket, massachusetts, founded, 1908, named, honor, maria, mitchell, first, american, woman, astronomer, major, component, maria, mitchell, association, observatory, actually, consists, observatories, main, near, downtown, nant. The Maria Mitchell Observatory in Nantucket Massachusetts USA was founded in 1908 and named in honor of Maria Mitchell the first American woman astronomer It is a major component of the Maria Mitchell Association The Observatory actually consists of two observatories the main Maria Mitchell Observatory near downtown Nantucket and the Loines Observatory about a kilometer west of town It is also the repository for a valuable collection of over 8000 wide field 13 x 16 glass photographic plates recording observations of large swaths of sky from 1913 to 1995 Loines Observatory of the Maria Mitchell Association The observatory has extensive public education and research programs For more than 50 years the observatory has offered summer research internships in astronomy and astrophysics for undergraduate students funded by the National Science Foundation The importance of this work was recognized with a 2009 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring given by President Barack Obama to the Maria Mitchell Association 1 2 The two observatories consist of three domed telescopes The Vestal street location houses research offices as well as the 17 inch Plane Wave Dall Kirkham telescope This telescope was installed in 2008 after the completion of the Loines Observatory The Loines Observatory houses the historic 7 5 inch Alvan Clark refractor which is used for public stargazing At this location there is also the larger 24 inch Richey Chretian reflecting telescope installed in 2006 which has been made accessible for public tours Both the 17 inch and the 24 inch telescopes are also used for research year round Contents 1 Staff 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksStaff EditRegina Jorgenson became the Director of the Maria Mitchell Observatory in January 2016 3 She received her PhD in physics from the University of California in San Diego for a thesis on physical conditions in damped Lyman alpha systems Prior to becoming the director at Maria Mitchell she held the following positions postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute of Astronomy IoA University of Cambridge UK 2008 2011 NSF Astronomy amp Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Astronomy IfA University of Hawai i at Manoa 2011 2014 and Visiting Professor at Willamette University Oregon 2014 2015 In 2014 she published with coauthors an estimate of the primordial abundance of deuterium 4 The observatory s first director Margaret Harwood Past Directors of the Maria Mitchell Observatory Margaret Harwood 1912 1957 Dorrit Hoffleit 1957 1978 Emilia Pisani Belserene 1978 1991 Eileen Friel 1991 1996 Vladimir Strelnitski 1997 2013 Michael West 2013 2015 Astronomer Gary Walker is the observatory s telescope engineer An aeronautical engineer by training he has spent more than 30 years observing building telescopes and observatories photographing the heavens and making photometric measurements of variable stars with CCD cameras He is a past president of the American Association of Variable Star Observers AAVSO and currently holds the office of secretary of the organization See also EditList of astronomical observatoriesReferences Edit President Honors Outstanding Science Math Engineering Teachers and Mentors whitehouse gov Retrieved July 9 2009 via National Archives Maria Mitchell Association at the White House Inquirer and Mirror Retrieved January 8 2010 New Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association Maria Mitchell Association www mariamitchell org Retrieved 2016 02 19 Precision measures of the primordial abundance of deuteriumFurther reading EditHoffleit Dorritt 2001 Maria Mitchell Observatory For Astronomical Research and Public Enlightenment Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers 30 1 62 93 External links EditMaria Mitchell Association Nantucket Island Clear Sky Clock Forecasts of observing conditions covering MMA s observatories Coordinates 41 16 48 N 70 06 18 W 41 28000 N 70 10500 W 41 28000 70 10500 Portals Astronomy Stars Spaceflight Outer space Solar System Education Science Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Maria Mitchell Observatory amp oldid 1091696809, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
