Observatory Park - Gaithersburg, MD
Posted by: 
Ernmark
N 39° 08.205 W 077° 11.898
18S E 310002 N 4334253
Sign located in a Municipal Park created from the grounds of a former observatory which was used to measure the wobble of the Earth.
Waymark Code: WMNWMF
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 05/12/2015
Views: 5
The observatory, which is the centerpiece of this park, 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.
This sign is located near the entrance to Observatory Park - on a map of the park displaying the locations of 2 buildings and 5 benchmarks - all of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The trail shown on the map is meant to represent the path of the Earth's wobble on its axis - which this observatory was used to measure in conjunction with several others around the world.
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.
Location Name: Observatory Park
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Visit Instructions:
A photo of either you or your GPS at the site is welcomed but not required.