THE ROTHNEY ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY - OBSERVATOIRE D'ASTROPHYSIQUE ROTHNEY

The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is located in Priddis, a small community 75 km southwest of Calgary, Alberta. It was inaugurated in 1972 and is managed by the University of Calgary. This is why, from its inception, it has been intended for university students specialising in astronomical research. It all began in 1967 when the university's physics department launched a graduate program in astrophysics, requiring the creation of an astronomical observatory. In 1970, Alexander Rothney Cross, a wealthy local rancher, donated various lands to the university to build the future buildings. Work began in 1971 and it took a little over a year for the observatory to come out of the ground: it was then only equipped with a 410 mm diameter telescope and a conference room. In 1981, the National Research Council of Canada decided to fund the construction of a new facility capable of housing a large diameter telescope (1.5 m), specializing in infrared imaging. Alexander Rothney Cross makes a new donation while Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake offers photographic equipment (camera) to image the sky in the best conditions. A few years later, in 1987, the new telescope was able to begin its observations. The work carried out through the instrument will mainly concern the study of stars, black holes and certain nebulae. In the mid-1990s, a new, more efficient mirror replaced the one that had previously equipped the telescope. To finance it, we are asking for donations... from a certain Alexander Rothney Cross once again! It is easier to understand why the observatory has been known by this name since that time.... With this new mirror and logically increased performance, the observatory's field of work expands to other celestial objects such as asteroids, or extrasolar planets (located around stars other than the Sun). In 2003, a new Visitor Center was set up to receive the public, schools or other groups during specific visits. If you are in Calgary, a visit to the observatory during observation evenings is essential, especially since the place is quite magical, in the countryside, on a hill with a view - far away - of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The atmosphere on site is relaxed and the night sky is generally of good quality.