 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2015) |
 Goodsell Observatory from the south | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization | Carleton College | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Observatory code | 741  | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Northfield, Minnesota, US | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 44°27′43″N 93°09′09″W / 44.46194°N 93.15250°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Altitude | 290 meters | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weather | See the Clear Sky Clock | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Established | 1887 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | carleton.edu/astro | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Telescopes | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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  Location of Goodsell Observatory | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Related media on Commons | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Goodsell Observatory is an observatory at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was constructed in 1887 and was, at the time, the largest observatory in the state of Minnesota, the 6th largest in the U.S., and the 12th largest in the world. [2] The Goodsell Observatory and its predecessor, a smaller observatory that opened in 1878, served as a widely consulted timekeeping station, bringing national prominence to Carleton College in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[3]
Goodsell Observatory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 for its national significance in the themes of architecture, communications, education, engineering, literature, and science.[4] It was nominated for being one of the nation's few intact 19th-century observatories (complete with a large collection of vintage scientific equipment); and for its critical timekeeping service, its association with scientific literature (founder William W. Payne also founded the journal Popular Astronomy), its fine Romanesque Revival architecture, and continuous use as a teaching facility.[5] Currently, both telescopes in the Observatory are used in astronomy classes as well as for monthly open house events to allow the public to observe. The building also houses a computer imaging lab used by astronomy students, an astronomy library, a historic 5" meridian circle, and other equipment used in the late 1800s and early 1900s for timekeeping purposes. The building also has space for more offices, a classroom, and has become home to Carleton's Sustainability Office.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Greene, Mark (1988). "A Science Not Earthbound". Carleton College.
- ^ Huber, Molly (2015-04-14). "Goodsell Observatory, Northfield". MNopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
- ^ "Goodsell Observatory, Carleton College". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
- ^ Lutz, Thomas; Ruthmary Penick (1975-03-17). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Goodsell Observatory (New Observatory) (Report). National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-05-08.