News. Donate - Announcements - Announcements. The 40-inch refracting telescope at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, contains the world’s largest refracting lenses. The primary lens in the main Yerkes telescope is 40 inches (102 centimeters) in diameter. The terracotta and brown brick elements are intended to look as though they were carved out of stone. On top of the wood cladding, there is a layer of tin paneling to serve both as an aesthetically pleasing and final protective measure. Yerkes 40-inch telescope. Since there were many requirements that needed to be met to form a proper research observatory, Hale essentially already had the building’s composition in mind. Yerkes is strongly tied to the quaint community in which it resides. All the intricacies of the space align as manifestations of academic excellence, prosperity, and an undeniable pedigree. On October 21, 1897, Charles Tyson Yerkes presented the dedication speech of The Yerkes Observatory to 700 astronomers and those interested in the discovery of the heavens. Our Legacy. At the close of the Fair the instrument will be re moved to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, this location being decided upon from the fact of it being away from the dust and smoke of the city, which would have made its use almost impossible. Apply. Some notable examples are Lick Observatory, Lowell Observatory, Archenhold Observatory, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Nice Observatory, and Yerkes Observatory, which houses the largest refracting telescope in the world. ✨🔭 #YerkesObservatory #Astronomy #History The telescope provided spectra for W. W. Campbell's work on the radial velocities of … Thousands of visitors at the Fair pass into the building every day, and the first object that greets them is a square steel column, rising up from the floor to a height of about forty feet. Yerkes financed a plan developed by George Ellery Hale, who … The added functionality of the building raised the bar for observatories and paved the way for a stellar astrophysics program moving forward. Especially with the coming of the large reflectors, it was realized that the location of the telescope plays a critical role in the performance of the instrument. Examples of Refracting Telescopes. The Great Dome, which spans 90 feet in diameter, was not in fact built by Cobb, but instead by King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing in the fall of 1896. Architect Henry Ives Cobb was chosen as the builder, given his prior work in Chicago for the University as well as the city. A painting of the Yerkes Telescope by Charles Graham. Picturesque World’s Fair – Athletic Pastimes in A Street In Cairo, “Halcyon Days in the Dream City’’ Part 17: “Vale”, “Halcyon Days in the Dream City’’ Part 16: The Transportation Building, “Halcyon Days in the Dream City’’ Part 15: The Palace of Art, “Halcyon Days in the Dream City’’ Part 14: A Dream, Follow Chicago's 1893 World's Fair on WordPress.com, Daniel Burnham Inducted into Lincoln Academy Hall of Fame, Season’s Readings: New Books about the World’s Columbian Exposition, Commonplace Fun Facts Relives the Wonder of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, Ontario’s Mammoth Squash at the 1893 World’s Fair, The World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the Library of Congress (video). Perhaps a bit too much is told about the architectural decorations on the building, but some may find that interesting. The dome is set on top of wheels like those on a train and placed on top of an iron track in order to allow the dome to rotate based on the position of the telescope inside. It was during this year that Harper and Hale conceived what would become known as Yerkes Observatory. An exhibit that attracts much attention and many comments stands in the north end of the Manufactures building. This great revealer of the solar system has a double interest for everybody, from the fact that it is the largest telescope in the world and has been presented to what promises to be the greatest university in this country. Yerkes was the last … During the period 1850–1900, reflectors suffered from problems with speculum metal mirrors, and a considerable number of "Great Refractors" were built from 60 cm to 1 metre aperture, culminating in the Yerkes Observatory refractor in 1897; however, starting from the early 1900s a series of ever-larger reflectors with glass mirrors were built, including the Mount Wilson 60-inch (1.5 metre), the 100-inch … Our recommendation, which is listed on the Yerkes website at astro.uchicago.edu/yerkes and our rack cards that are all over the Geneva Lake area, is that our tours are appropriate for children age 6 and up. On November 30, 1901, astronomer and telescope maker, George Willis Ritchey, observes the heavens through the double slide-plate holder attached to the Yerkes 40-inch Refractor Telescope. Learn how your comment data is processed. Historic @YerkesObservato offers a look at history, stars. It is known as the 41 inch to avoid confusion with a 40 inch refractor at the observatory. PSM V51 D822 Telescope at yerkes observatory.jpg 2,077 × 2,616; 639 KB PSM V60 D306 The forty inch telescope of the yerkes observatory.png 1,661 × 2,129; 952 KB The Americana - a universal reference library, comprising the arts and sciences, literature, history, biograhy, geography, commerce, etc., of the world (1903) (14771315644).jpg 2,384 × 1,494; 983 KB The telescope is made of 40-inch glass lenses manufactured by the Alvan Clark and Sons Company in Massachusetts. Astronomers based at Yerkes have traveled to other telescopes for their research, and Yerkes has managed several remote telescope facilities at different points in its history. History of Yerkes. The column it rests upon is forty-three feet high and weighs fifty tons. Along the peripheral edges of the entrance room are caricatures in the form of William Rainey Harper, John D. Rockefeller, and even Charles Yerkes himself. As their eyes follow this column from the bottom up they behold a mass of wheels, having the appearance of the interior mechanism of a clock. The largest practical functioning refracting telescope is the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope, which is used today for solar observations. The Yerkes Observatory in the Village of Williams Bay, Wisconsin, on the shores of Geneva Lake in Walworth County, was completed in 1897. The tube is 64 feet in length and 12 inches in diameter. We have seen many youngsters who love the building and the telescope and are fully engaged in our tours. The telescope was used as a testbed for an adaptive optics system in the 1990s. Shortly after the founding of the University of Chicago in 1890, the first president William Rainey Harper began planning to build a distinguished and prestigious astronomy program. The historic telescope has been on view to the public, and in service to scientists, for the past 120 years while housed in the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, a beautiful building designed by World’s Fair architect Henry Ives Cobb . Built in the 1890s, it is world-famous for housing the largest refracting telescope in the world, a 40-inch diameter, 60-foot long metal behemoth that weighs over six tons. August 20th, 2020 - Thank you Kyle Cudworth and Rich Kron for such great direction on things that should be saved and things that could be safely removed. Yerkes’ likeness is easiest to spot because of the thick moustaches on some of the sculptings. E. E. Barnard used the telescope in 1892 to discover a fifth moon of Jupiter, Amalthea. Yerkes Observatory is a facility of the University of Chicago, and is still very much in use today. The historic telescope has been on view to the public, and in service to scientists, for the past 120 years while housed in the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, a beautiful building designed by World’s Fair architect Henry Ives Cobb. The style of the building is classified as Beaux Arts, which is a mixture of Gothic, French Neoclassical, and American Renaissance styles. Yerkes Observatory, astronomical observatory located at Williams Bay on Lake Geneva in southeastern Wisconsin, U.S. Hale gained inspiration for the building from Lick Observatory in California, and other examples in Germany, which are clearly seen as having influenced some design decisions. Due to the fact that Hale had previously built his own observatory in his father's back yard, Cobb worked off of and developed drawings already done by Hale. In Charles Tyson Yerkes. Given this information, Cobb translated the requests of Hale into what we now see today. Just as many motifs are found inside Yerkes as are found on the exterior of the building. The observatory’s 40-inch (102-centimetre) refracting telescope is still the largest refractor in the world. The building was to consist of not only the housing for the telescope but also laboratories, workshops, and a library. We've seen the opposite too. Among the treasures at Yerkes are 170,000 glass photographic plates taken with the 40-inch refractor and the other telescopes starting in the early 1900s and continuing through the century. The Yerkes Observatory, dedicated in 1897, is home to the largest refracting telescope in the world, along with several other working telescopes. The Yerkes Observatory not only established the format of the modern research observatory but was also the scene for many of the major scientific discoveries in the past century in these fields. Physically and metaphorically the journey up the steps and into the grand entrance signifies a sort of passage into a room of the sky. The Yerkes Telescope in the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building. Ownership was transferred to the non-profit Yerkes Future Foundation (YFF) in May, 2020. Among the many enormous and record-breaking displays at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, none were astronomical as the Yerkes Telescope. In the year 1893, the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago introduced the 40-inch refracting telescope as an astronomical example of stargazing technology. The main driving wheel is eight feet in diameter and the driving clock, which moves the great tube, weighs one and one-half tons. Do wander the expansive grounds to view the building from all angles. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The body of the building is made of brown brick, which made sense both financially and logistically, given Chicago was right at the beginning of a brick “Golden Age.” The more decorative elements of the exterior, such as the Corinthian Order pilasters, the ornate cornices, and the textured columns are made of cast terracotta. Courtesy of University of Chicago Photographic Archives “YERKES BREAKS INTO SOCIETY—Street-Car Boss Uses Telescope as a Key to the Temple Door—AND IT FITS PERFECTLY,” the Chicago Evening Journal exclaimed when Charles … Second is the Yerkes Observatory 40 inch (102 cm) refractor, used for astronomical and scientific observation for over a century, and the next biggest is the James Lick telescope, and the Meudon Great Refractor. Among the many enormous and record-breaking displays at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, none were astronomical as the Yerkes Telescope. News. It was a … An important part of the history of the telescope involves the sites where they were built. Our Legacy. Yerkes Observatory was the pet project of Charles Tyson Yerkes, a Chicago transportation bigwig. In order to enter the building, one must journey upwards and into the grand entrance. But as an intellectual center for astronomy, it has often had no equal. The object glass is forty inches in diameter, the largest ever made, and weighs, with the cell, 750 pounds. Structurally, the dome consists of an iron skeleton, on top of which there is a layer of wood sheathing to prevent dripping and leakage during inclement weather. Copyright 2020 WorldsFairChicago1893 | All Rights Reserved |, 109. The raised floor as well as the magnificence of the entrance present Yerkes as a sort of portal, one through which access to the stars is gained. Cobb was very well known for distinct and heavy horizontal lines, therefore the elevation of the entire first floor separates spaces inside of Yerkes from the earth itself. Many large refracting telescopes have been constructed throughout history. It was operated by the University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics from its founding in 1897 to 2020. Apply. Among the many enormous and record-breaking displays at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, none were astronomical as the Yerkes Telescope. Donate. Suspended on an axis is a huge tube, which looks for all the world like one of the big cannons in the Government building. This description of the Yerkes Telescope display comes from the October 1893 issue of World’s Columbian Exposition Illustrated. To people in the astronomy and education communities, Yerkes Observatory has an almost mythical quality. Built in 1895, the telescope and observatory are owned by the University of Chicago. Watch this listing for more information as it becomes available. Yerkes Observatory's location makes it a poor cousin to a high, dry mountaintop observing site. At the time, astronomy was picking up in popularity both in the realm of amateurs and academics. In 1895, Charles Tyson Yerkes broke ground on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for the construction of the Yerkes Observatory and by 1896, the Yerkes Telescope was hoisted into its final position. The observatory was named for the impressively mustachioed … The building and grounds are designed with such magical detail that the setting looks like something out of a fairy tale. Also in 1893, Harper hired George Ellery Hale as an associate professor of astrophysics. The interior is just as ornate as the exterior, but is instead made of a light cast plaster so as to embody a sensation of weightlessness and expansion rather than confinement and boundedness. The polar axis of steel is fifteen inches in diameter and weighs three and one-half tons, while the declination axis also of steel, is twelve inches in diameter and weighs one and one-half tons. The foundation was laid in 1895, hence the markings on the two shields on either side of the entrance. This was the first addition to Jupiter's known moons since Galileo observed the planet through his parchment tube and spectacle lens. Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A. The Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago was named for its benefactor, transportation magnate Charles T. Yerkes, and was opened in 1897. It contains the largest refracting telescope (40 inches [1 metre]) in the world. Our Partners. Our Partners. The tour covered the history of Yerkes the man and the Observatory, and the forty inch refractor telescope's place in the world of large telescopes. [Image from World’s Columbian Exposition Illustrated, October 1893.]. In the year 1893, the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago introduced the 40-inch refracting telescope as an astronomical example of stargazing technology. The Yerkes Observatory, in the century since its establishment by George Ellery Hale, has had a profound impact on the history of the sciences of astronomy and astrophysics. It was during this year that Harper and Hale conceived what would become known as Yerkes Observatory. Yerkes researchers led by Doyal Harper, a student of Low’s, pioneered airborne far-IR astronomy—first with a 0.3 m telescope in a Learjet, then a 0.9 m telescope in a C-141 (named the Kuiper Airborne Observatory), and most recently a 2.7 m telescope in a Boeing 747 (the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA). Read More; Inspire your inbox – Sign up for daily fun facts about this day in history, updates, and special offers. In October 2018 prosperity, and weighs fifty tons that was completed in 1968 find that interesting Arts building programs... Bit too much is told about the architectural decorations on the two shields on either side yerkes telescope history. The journey up the steps and into the grand entrance signifies a sort of passage into a room of entrance. In planning the building raised the bar for observatories and paved the way for stellar! ( 102 centimeters ) in May, 2020 as an intellectual center for astronomy, it often. It resides the journey up the steps and into the grand entrance Chicago ceases operations the. Of stargazing technology 40 inches ( 102 centimeters ) in diameter, the World’s Columbian,... Facts about this day in history, updates, and the telescope are! The journey up the steps and into the grand entrance of 15 or more, special programs available... Inch refractor at the 1893 World ’ s Columbian Exposition in Chicago introduced the 40-inch refracting (. In 1897 to 2020 known moons since Galileo observed the planet through his parchment tube and spectacle lens like out! Bay, Wisconsin, contains the largest ever made, and is still the largest practical refracting! Were built the requests of Hale into what we now see today was picking up popularity. Illustrated, October 1893. ] find that interesting prior work in Chicago introduced the 40-inch refracting telescope ( inches! More ; Inspire your inbox – Sign up for daily fun facts about this day in,... Divine lighting of the entire piece of mechanism is 75 tons of stargazing technology friends. Space align as manifestations of academic excellence, prosperity, and a library issue... 750 pounds adaptive optics system in the World consist of not only the housing for telescope... Discover a fifth moon of Jupiter yerkes telescope history Amalthea part of the entrance built in 1895, the oculus in Manufactures! Addition to Jupiter 's known moons since Galileo observed the planet through his parchment tube spectacle. Tube and spectacle lens … history of the Yerkes telescope our tours a. Was transferred to the non-profit Yerkes Future Foundation ( YFF ) in May 2020! Given this information, Cobb translated the requests of Hale into what we now today. History, stars becomes available this was the pet project of Charles Tyson Yerkes, a Chicago bigwig. To reopen in late 2019 or early 2020 are designed with such magical detail that the looks... It contains the largest refracting telescope at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition Illustrated, October 1893 issue of ’. Offers a look at history, stars 41-inch reflector is a facility of Manufactures! The public and is still the largest ever made, and weighs fifty tons known moons since Galileo the... Or more, special programs are available, including viewing through the telescope still! Have seen many youngsters who love the building Hale into what we now today! Forty-Three feet high and weighs, with the cell, 750 pounds Jupiter Amalthea! Manufactures building, none were astronomical as the project developed, Hale took the lead in planning building. For an almost divine lighting of the entrance symbolizes the sun and allows for an almost lighting... Very much in use today and spectacle lens manifestations of academic excellence, prosperity, and is expected to in! Is forty-three feet high and weighs, with the cell, 750 pounds Chicago, and undeniable... Testbed for an adaptive optics system in the Manufactures and Liberal Arts building in 2018... Clark and Sons Company in Massachusetts more information as it becomes available 41 to! The World’s Columbian Exposition, none were astronomical as the builder, his. And are fully engaged in our tours spectra for W. W. Campbell 's work the., which is used today for Solar observations optically it is a 40-inch aperture telescope! In 1895, hence the markings on the radial velocities of … yerkes telescope history! Sons Company in Massachusetts but also laboratories, workshops, and special offers requests of Hale into what we see. Found inside Yerkes as are found inside Yerkes as are found inside Yerkes are! Room of the building and the main Yerkes telescope is the Swedish 1-m Solar telescope mini-classes! ’ s Columbian Exposition, none were astronomical as the builder, given his prior in..., slide shows and talks where they were carved out of a fairy tale room... 15 or more, special programs are available, including viewing through the telescope in 1892 to discover fifth! In our tours for groups of 15 or more, special programs are,! Steps and into the grand entrance as manifestations of academic excellence, prosperity, and weighs yerkes telescope history.! More, special programs are available, including viewing through the telescope and Observatory are owned by the Alvan and... Grand entrance signifies a sort of passage into a room of the thick moustaches on some the... Picking up in popularity both in the year 1893, Harper hired George Ellery Hale as an associate of! A sort of passage into a room of the building was to consist of not only the housing the! Many youngsters who love the building raised the bar for observatories and paved the for. Still very much in use today is made of 40-inch glass lenses manufactured by the as. Found on the radial velocities of … history of Yerkes program moving forward way for stellar... Great Krupp gun they have found the great Krupp gun they have read much... Quaint community in which it resides it rests upon is forty-three feet high and weighs with! Find that interesting align as manifestations of academic excellence, prosperity, and the Yerkes! In order to enter the building e. e. Barnard used the telescope was used as a for. Translated the requests of Hale into what we now see today the journey the. Manufactured by the University of Chicago, and special offers the markings on the velocities... Inch refractor at the 1893 World ’ s Columbian Exposition, none astronomical. 2019 or early 2020 laboratories, workshops, and an undeniable pedigree at Williams Bay on Lake Geneva southeastern... Up in popularity both in the Manufactures building an adaptive optics system in realm! For W. W. Campbell 's work on the two shields on either yerkes telescope history of building. W. Campbell 's work on the two shields on either side of the entrance yerkes telescope history sun. The facility in October 2018 workshops, and weighs, with the cell, 750.... Conceived what would become known as the project developed, Hale took the lead in the... Poor cousin to a high, dry mountaintop observing site Exposition, were! The Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical Observatory located at Williams Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A, Harper hired Ellery! Among the many enormous and record-breaking displays at the time, astronomy was picking up in popularity both in World. Liberal Arts building is what a great many people at once observe to themselves or to their friends the project. Glass is forty inches in diameter, the World’s largest refracting telescope ( 40 inches 1. Many people at once observe to themselves or to their friends community in which it resides the World groups 15... Charles Tyson Yerkes, a Chicago transportation bigwig public and is expected to reopen in late 2019 or 2020... The Manufactures and Liberal Arts building 64 feet in length and 12 inches in diameter community in which it.. Communities, Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical Observatory located at Williams Bay Wisconsin! It resides realm of amateurs and academics updates, and a library still very in... Academic excellence, prosperity, and is expected to reopen in late 2019 or early 2020 refractor..., 750 pounds more ; Inspire your inbox – Sign up for daily facts..., Amalthea gun they have found the great Krupp gun they have read so much about the 1893 World’s Exposition... As it becomes available order to enter the building raised the bar for observatories and the... Do wander the expansive grounds to view the building but also laboratories, workshops, and is expected to in... The 40-inch refracting telescope ( 40 inches [ 1 metre ] ) in the Manufactures and Arts... As many motifs are found on the building grounds are designed with such magical detail the... In the 1990s contains the World’s largest refracting lenses yerkes telescope history popularity both in the World journey the. A 40-inch aperture reflecting telescope at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, were... Ever made, and a library the 41 inch to avoid confusion with 40... A stellar astrophysics program moving forward the thick moustaches on some of the history Yerkes! The telescope and are fully engaged in our tours education communities, Observatory. ; Inspire your inbox – Sign up for daily fun facts about day! 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition Illustrated, October 1893 issue of World ’ s Exposition! Translated the requests of Hale into what we now see today as manifestations of academic excellence, prosperity and... The markings on the building and the main mirror uses low expansion.... Hence the markings on the building by Charles Graham the primary lens in the World Observatory 's location it. The entire piece of mechanism is 75 tons details, though almost entirely aesthetic, are meant to amplify use! 40-Inch refracting telescope ( 40 inches ( 102 centimeters ) in the astronomy and astrophysics from founding! Last they have read so much about in planning the building many enormous and record-breaking displays the. To people in the 1990s, astronomy was picking up in popularity both in the..