Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory - Gaithersburg, nMD
Posted by: 
Ernmark
N 39° 08.203 W 077° 11.923
18S E 309966 N 4334250
This now-unused observatory is one of 6 placed around the world to measure the wobble of the Earth.
Waymark Code: WMNTFN
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 04/30/2015
Views: 6
This observatory was built in 1899 & along with 5 other observatories built at the same latitude made observations of specific stars. The information was used to calculate the wobble of the Earth's axis.
The other original observatories were located in California, Ohio, Italy, Japan, & Turkestan - all at 39° 08' latitude.
These observatories continued to operate until 1982, when GPS technology rendered them obsolete, although data collected during their operation continues to be of use.
The observatory building as well the 5 geodetic survey marks on-site are included in the register. The grounds are now maintained by the City of Gaithersburg as a park.
Street address:
100 DeSellum Ave
Gaithersburg, MD United States
20877
County / Borough / Parish: Gaithersburg
Year listed: 1985
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Science
Periods of significance: 1875-1899, 1900-1924, 1925-1949, 1950-1974
Historic function: Education, Research Facility
Current function: Vacant/Not In Use
Privately owned?: no
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.