Morgan–Monroe Observatory

The Morgan–Monroe Observatory, also known as the Morgan–Monroe Station of Goethe Link Observatory, sits in Indiana's Morgan–Monroe State Forest, about 20 kilometres northeast of Bloomington, and was owned and operated by Indiana University.

History

The site was developed in the 1960s after growing light pollution began to degrade the original Goethe Link Observatory, which Indiana University had used for research since 1948. The move gave the university's astronomers access to darker forest skies within easy reach of campus.

Telescopes & research

The original instrument was a Boller and Chivens 41-centimetre (16-inch) Cassegrain reflector, installed in 1966. In 1989 it was converted into an automated system for monitoring cataclysmic variable stars, nicknamed "Roboscope," capable of capturing one or two four-minute exposures of around 100 objects on a clear night. A second automated instrument, a 1.25-metre f/8 Ritchey-Chrétien reflector called "Spectrabot," was added in 1997. Indiana University operated the facility into the 2010s.

Location & getting there

The observatory is set within Morgan–Monroe State Forest, a large wooded area northeast of Bloomington, Indiana, offering darker skies than the city itself.

Visiting Morgan–Monroe Observatory

As a university research site within a state forest, public access and current operating status should be checked with Indiana University's astronomy department before planning a visit.

See your named star from here

Automated systems like Roboscope and Spectrabot show just how precisely a telescope can be aimed at a fixed set of coordinates night after night, exactly what's needed to find a named star. Look up your star's position in our catalogue, or see our packages.