The Helen Sawyer Hogg Observatory - Ottawa, Ontario
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N 45° 24.253 W 075° 37.217
18T E 451457 N 5028042
A white domed building on the grounds of the Science & Technology Museum grounds.
Waymark Code: WMBKKD
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 05/30/2011
Views: 24
The Museum dedicated its observatory to Helen Sawyer Hogg in 1989 for her work in astronomy. This remarkable woman was born on August 1, 1905 in Lowell, MA and died January 28, 1993, in Richmond Hill, ON. In 1910, she saw Halley's Comet, an event that sparked her fascination for astronomy. Helen Sawyer studied astronomy at Mount Holyoke College, receiving her doctorate in 1931 at Radcliffe. For several years, she worked alongside her husband, astronomer Frank Hogg. In 1935, Helen became an employee of the Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, ON. Among her many achievements, Dr. Helen Sawyer Hogg taught astronomy at the University of Toronto. She wrote a weekly astronomy column to the Toronto Star and a book called "The Stars Belong to Everyone". Over the years, Dr. Hogg received many awards including the Order of Canada (officer) in 1968, (companion) in 1976. The asteroid 2917, discovered in 1980, was named Asteroid Sawyer Hogg in 1984. Helen Sawyer Hogg contributed to the advancement of astronomy and was world renowned for her research on variable stars.
The telescope is a 15 inch (38cm) refractor. The original lens was a 15-inch doublet (two-component lens system) which is in the Museum's collection. In 1958, the world's largest three component lens system (apochromat) replaced the double lens system. J.A. Braschear Co., of Allegheny, PA manufactured the original lens and Perkin-Elmer Corporation of Norwalk, CT, the current lens. The focal ratio of the telescope is f/15 in a tube length of 225 inches (5.7m). The telescope axis is at an angle of 45 degrees, the latitude of Ottawa. Warner and Swasey Company of Cleveland, Ohio manufactured the telescope mounting and the original driving mechanism, a conical pendulum clock. Electricity drives the telescope now.
Observatory Purpose: Research
Optical / Infrared Telescopes?: Yes
Radio Telescopes?: No
Solar Telescopes?: Yes
Open to the Public?: Yes
Number of Telescopes or Antennas: 1
Year Dedicated or Opened: 1989
Is this a Club Observatory?: Not listed
Public Viewing Allowed?: Not listed
Active Observatory?: Not listed
Site URL: Not listed
Altitude (meters): Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:Note the time of day of your visit, and your own photo of your favorite part of the observatory. This might be the view from the observatory, picture of your favorite building or favorite exhibit. (Be mindful of flash photography rules!)
If you participated in an observing session, let everyone know what you saw!