Loomis Observatory

Loomis Observatory, also known as the Elias Loomis Observatory, stands on the campus of Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, and holds the distinction of being the oldest observatory in the United States still standing in its original location.

About Loomis Observatory

Construction was completed in 1838, making Loomis the third observatory erected in the country and the second oldest overall. While the Hopkins Observatory at Williams College was also finished in 1838, it has since been relocated twice, leaving Loomis as the oldest one that has never moved.

History

The observatory was designed under the direction of Professor Elias Loomis, who travelled to England to purchase the necessary instruments after studying in Europe. Architect Simeon Porter built the structure. At the time, the school was known as Western Reserve College, which later relocated to Cleveland and became Case Western Reserve University; the Hudson campus continues today as Western Reserve Academy. The observatory was restored in 1908 by James Ellsworth and again in 1963.

Telescopes & research

The original 1837 instruments remain in the building: a Troughton & Simms equatorial telescope and an astronomical clock built by Robert Molyneux. Astronomers Elias Loomis and Charles Augustus Young both worked at the observatory, as recorded on its historic marker.

Location & getting there

Loomis Observatory is located in Hudson, Ohio, in North America, on the grounds of Western Reserve Academy.

See your named star from here

Loomis's historic equatorial telescope was built to find and track exact celestial positions, the same principle behind pointing at the coordinates of a symbolically named star. Explore the star catalogue or name a star to get your own set of coordinates.