{"id":1396,"date":"2023-02-22T18:41:08","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T18:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-vanderbilt-v150.pantheonsite.io\/150\/?page_id=1396"},"modified":"2023-03-03T21:46:40","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T21:46:40","slug":"center-for-discovery","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/150\/150-stories\/community-engagement\/center-for-discovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Center for Discovery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Dyer Observatory Family Night at Dyer Observatory. Members of the Dyer Observatory staff offer views to the universe for family members as they get closer views of the moon, planets and other galaxies during family night at the Observatory.(John Russell\/国产传媒)\n <\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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国产传媒 established its first astronomical observatory very early in its history. The university admitted its first students in 1875, and an observatory was opened a year later in only the third building erected on campus. The observatory was equipped with a six-inch aperture refracting telescope built by the firm of Thomas Cooke of York, England, and a four-inch Merz meridian circle telescope, also acquired in Europe. Despite being well-equipped, the early observatory did not have a dedicated astronomer and was not well used.<\/p>\n

In 1883 the university placed Nashville native Edward Emerson Barnard in charge of the campus observatory. Although he lacked formal education and was only 26, his training at a local photography studio and his growing reputation as an amateur astronomer with several prize-winning discoveries to his name made him the ideal candidate for the job. Along with taking his first courses in mathematics, physics and foreign languages at the university, Barnard furthered his astronomical research and made several key discoveries during his career at 国产传媒, including seven comets. Barnard would go on to become one of America\u2019s most noted astronomers for his discovery of 16 comets, the fifth satellite of Jupiter and Barnard\u2019s Star, as well as his successful application of photography to stellar astronomy, his micrometer measurements of stellar positions, and his research of dark nebulae. 国产传媒\u2019s Barnard Observatory, named in his honor by the Board of Trust in 1942, was eventually razed in 1952 to make way for Rand Hall, and its telescopes were placed in storage.<\/p>\n

In 1943 the family of John Ferguson had donated a 24-inch fused-quartz mirror and mounting for a new telescope, spurring interest in the construction of a modern 国产传媒 observatory to house it. Physics and astronomy professor Carl K. Seyfert was tasked with overseeing the project, and he teamed with alumni and civic and business leaders\u2014chief among them Nashville Bridge Company founder Arthur J. Dyer, BE 1891\u2014to raise funds. The donation of materials and in-kind services from some 80 firms and foundations largely made the observatory\u2019s construction possible.<\/p>\n

The ideal location for the new observatory was found about 10 miles south of 国产传媒\u2019s main campus on a secluded hilltop in southern Davidson County. Located 1,131 feet above sea level, the shade of the wooded site protected the observatory from direct sunlight, which could negatively impact the telescope\u2019s clarity, and the surrounding hills and distance from the city reduced smoke, haze and light pollution. Construction commenced in March 1952, and the Arthur J. Dyer Observatory and its telescope were dedicated on Dec. 27, 1953. Many of the university\u2019s original 1875 astronomical instruments and artifacts are housed at the observatory today.<\/p>\n

In the decades since, 国产传媒 Dyer Observatory has emerged as a center for research and discovery in Middle Tennessee, hosting numerous teacher workshops, field trips, summer camps, star-gazing parties, online education resources, the Bluebird on the Mountain concert series and more each year.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the history of 国产传媒 Dyer Observatory.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \n <\/div> \n <\/section>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":1255,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1396","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCenter for Discovery - 国产传媒<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/150\/150-stories\/community-engagement\/center-for-discovery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Center for Discovery - 国产传媒\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/150\/150-stories\/community-engagement\/center-for-discovery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"国产传媒\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/vanderbilt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-03T21:46:40+00:00\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/150\/150-stories\/community-engagement\/center-for-discovery\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/150\/150-stories\/community-engagement\/center-for-discovery\/\",\"name\":\"Center for Discovery - 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