Leander McCormick Observatory

USA / Virginia / Charlottesville / McCormick Road, 600
 museum, observatory, astronomy, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places
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Leander McCormick Observatory
(www.astro.virginia.edu/research/observatories/26inch/hi...
Home to a 26-inch Alvan Clark & Sons refracting telescope, the tenth largest refractor in the world, it was the largest in the United States when dedicated in 1885. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

During the 20th century it was used to determine distances to nearby stars (about one quarter of all distances known before 1990 were measured here).

Open to the public for (free) evening tours (and viewing, weather permitting) the first and third Friday of each month (www.astro.virginia.edu/public_outreach/pubnite.php)
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   38°1'58"N   78°31'20"W
This article was last modified 12 years ago