ALLEGHENY OBSERVATORY

Allegheny Observatory is one of the world's leading astronomical research institutions. It is located in Riverview Park, approximately 7 km north of downtown Pittsburgh, and 12 km from the University of Pittsburgh, of which it is an integral part. It was created on February 15, 1859, when three citizens of the city of Allegheny met at Professor Lewis Bradley's office to discuss the purchase of a telescope. They quickly formed, with other astronomy enthusiasts, the Allegheny Telescope Association. This association eventually purchased a 33 cm diameter telescope, installed in the new Pittsburgh Observatory building on November 14, 1861. This bezel is mainly used by the members of the club, without any real scientific purpose. In 1867, interest in this leisure activity declined sharply and the Allegheny Telescope Association decided to donate the ensemble, observatory and telescope, to the University of Western Pennsylvania, which later became the University of Pittsburgh. From then on, scientific activities took over from simple entertainment and many research programmes were developed, particularly concerning the study of the Sun and its spots. New instruments complement the older ones, and the observatory is even becoming a reference in the exact calculation of hours. Among the most spectacular observations made at that time were those of Saturn's rings, which reveal the myriad of bodies that compose them. The large telescope, symbol of this beautiful observatory, is the third largest in the United States, with a diameter of 76 cm! It was initially designed for photographic photography (110,000 photographic plates will be recorded thanks to it). A second dome houses a 78 cm diameter telescope, specialized in the study of particular stars. Today, the observatory participates in a program to detect extrasolar planets (planets orbiting around stars other than the Sun), but retains all its dimension of an establishment dedicated to popularization through daytime guided tours and enjoyable observation evenings for visiting tourists.