LOWELL OBSERVER | Fall 2012 LOWELL EXPANDING OUR UNIVERSE OBSERVER the Quarterly Newsletter of Lowell Observatory Issue 95 Fall 2012
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1 THE THE LOWELL OBSERVER | Fall 2012 LOWELL EXPANDING OUR UNIVERSE OBSERVER The quarterly newsletter of Lowell Observatory Issue 95 Fall 2012 First Light Gala by Tom Vitron On an overcast July evening, more than 700 guests convened at the High Country Conference Center for the most memorable gala event in Flagstaff history. The First Light Gala Celebrating the Commissioning of the Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) was a big success, punctuated by a surreal and breathtaking presentation by former astronaut Mr. Neil Armstrong (which, sadly, turned out to be his last public appearance). Mr. Neil Armstrong speaks to a riveted sellout crowd. Right: DCT First Light images: M104, The Sombrero Galaxy, and M51, The Whirlpool Galaxy. With Chuck Wendt, Deputy Director for Advancement, as Master of Mr. Armstrong during his opening descended towards the lunar surface. Ceremonies, the Gala featured remarks. “Alarm 1201…,” Armstrong recounted, speeches by people who played crucial Offering a very learned yet referring to one of two non-critical alarms roles in completing the telescope and understandable rundown of the past that rang during the final descent. “I achieving “first light.” few centuries of astronomy innovation decided this was not the moment to pull “DCT stemmed from Lowell’s and discovery, Armstrong led into an out the owner’s manual to figure out what institutional commitment to remain unforgettable play-by-play reenactment Alarm 1201 was.” a leading research organization, of the last four minutes of lunar Midway through the video, Armstrong attracting top researchers to do top module Eagle’s flight to the surface paused it to point out a huge crater he science,” said Director Emeritus Dr. of the Moon. The centerpiece of this wanted to make sure they avoided. Bob Millis. “This pointed us toward presentation was a video featuring the continued on page 4 the realization that we need a bigger iconic footage broadcast from Eagle telescope, and it took many — staff, next to a computer rendering of the IN THIS ISSUE Board, donors, Friends — to pull it landing from Eagle’s perspective. The off.” 1 First Light Gala rendering was created by a private As expected, the evening’s special 2 Director’s Update individual using mapping done by guest and his presentation stole the NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter 3 Library/Collections Center show. Mr. Armstrong began his and the Google Map software. The 5 V. M. Slipher’s Legacy speech by commenting about the audience was enthralled as Armstrong, 5 Annular Eclipse DCT. “There’s something special who piloted the Eagle, offered nuggets about controlling a 50-plus million 6, 7 Transit of Venus of insight into what he and Edwin dollar machine and getting results that 8 Upcoming Events “Buzz” Aldrin experienced as they have never been achieved before,” said 2 THE LOWELL OBSERVER | Fall 2012 until his death in 1969 at the motions of galaxies and where we enjoy unique age 93. commenced. In the opening opportunities to share that On September 14-15, pages of Lord of the Flies, science with the generation 2012, we celebrated the William Golding writes of researchers who will 100th anniversary of of Ralph, his avatar of succeed us. The Discovery Slipher’s work with a civilization, that “there was Channel Telescope is centennial conference a mildness about his mouth catapulting Lowell into that brought astronomers and eyes that proclaimed new prominence, and and science historians no devil.” For some reason the demands it is placing Director’s from around the world that’s a characterization on the organization are to Flagstaff. It provided that has stuck in my mind requiring us to assume Update a thorough overview of since I first read that line a greater degree of the development of our as a kid, and one that came officiousness in i-dotting by Jeffrey Hall understanding of the back to me when I first saw and t-crossing, as well as expanding Universe, this picture of Slipher many aggressiveness in pursuing including an opening and years ago after I arrived at revenue to support our n September 17, 1912, O heartfelt retrospective by Lowell as a postdoc. new facility in a difficult by direction of Percival Lowell, our Trustee Bill Putnam. This impression was time for federal support of astronomer Vesto Melvin It was all fascinating, but borne out that night at research. Despite this high- Slipher made an exacting for me, the highlight of the dinner, as Slipher’s family stress landscape, the steady observation conference was the group described the man who approach of our scientists, using the 24” dinner after the first day. imprinted a significant engineers, and instrument Alvan Clark The dinner concluded with stamp upon the culture of builders has yielded a refractor a personal reminiscence Mars Hill and indeed, who telescope no one else here on Mars of V. M. by his grandson, was quite likely the origin believed we could build, Hill: the first and as his description of the atmosphere that and one that even out of measurement unfolded of the steady, makes the Observatory such the box is working pretty of the radial gentle, and unassuming a wonderful place to be well. velocity of an object then astronomer who spent over involved with today. I don’t know what called a “spiral nebula.” The half a century in service Bill Putnam has recently DCT’s equivalent of the extraordinary and unexpected to Lowell, I recalled two noted that in this exciting first cosmological redshifts high velocity of the object images. time when we bring our will be, but it’s out there we now call the Andromeda The first was of my last new $53 million asset on somewhere. As we work Galaxy led Slipher to undertake conversation with V. M.’s line, the company must toward whatever that is, a years-long program of son, David, who, if the become ever more vigilant, we’ll do our best to handle observing the motions of many “chip off the old block” earnest, and businesslike. our ongoing growth while such objects. Each had very adage has any truth, was But in the next breath ensuring that V. M.’s high velocities, most of them in the epitome of his dad. he’ll tell you that our century-long legacy thrives recession. These observations, I remember David as a atmosphere of mildness and here on Mars Hill, where collected in a long-term truly kind and pleasant proclaiming no devils is one as I write this on a chilly program akin to a number of gentleman, always keen to that he considers essential October night, a fall wind the ongoing research programs hear the latest goings-on at to preserve. is whistling mildly through at Lowell today, provided the Lowell, and whose company I do as well. Because the pines. observational underpinning was always a pleasure. It of his quiet and steady that later allowed Edwin was a genuine loss to the approach, V. M. did not Hubble to deduce the nature Lowell family when he died attain the prominence that of the expanding Universe. in 2000. Edwin Hubble did. But he Mars 3D exhibit V. M., as he is affectionately The second was of did set a course for a place open until Jan. 13th! known around here, spent his the picture of V. M. where today astronomers entire career at Lowell, retiring reproduced with this letter, work with almost complete www.lowell.edu in 1954 and living in Flagstaff taken sometime before freedom to pursue the his pioneering work on research of their choice, THE3 LOWELL OBSERVER | Fall 2012 THE LOWELL OBSERVER | Fall 20123 Library/Collections Center Capital Campaign by Kent Robinson, Advisory Board Member Renderings by the architectural firm Robert Jones Associates of the Library/Collections Center’s exterior (left) and lobby (right), which will house artifact displays and Big Red, Percival Lowell’s car. collections include such information as: Center Building. The repository, with Plans were recently announced 32,000 glass plate photographic images its temperature and humidity controls for the construction of Lowell of the night sky; the papers of founder and fire-suppression system will provide Observatory’s Library and Collections Percival Lowell and of other renowned a central, environmentally stable and Center. The building will house the astronomers of the Observatory; physically secure space for our fragile Observatory’s extensive historical Percival Lowell’s personal library; and unique collections. A secure collections and provide much needed astronomers observation log books; rare document and artifacts processing library and office space for its growing books and publications; star atlases; area and reading room will also be science and support staff. Construction record drawings of historical telescopes provided.” of the new building, to be located on and building facilities; and more than The lobby to the new building will Mars Hill near the Hendricks Planetary 600 handmade instruments used at the exhibit “Big Red,” Percival Lowell’s Science Building, will be funded by Observatory. We are indeed fortunate 1911 Stevens Duryea touring car, as proceeds from an earlier announced that generations of Lowell staff have well as rotating displays of historical capital campaign. Depending upon the saved and stored these documents and astronomical equipment. This lobby success of that campaign, construction artifacts to provide future generations space will accommodate up to 30 of the new building could begin in early with the opportunity to understand visitors, have visual access into the 2013. the labors and lives of those who have collection repository, and will serve as The Observatory’s collections worked on Mars Hill. a tour stop for the Observatory’s public chronicle 118 years of scientific According to Lowell Archivist, programs.