Philosophy
Posthumous accolade of one man's effort to keep a public observatory functioning.
MOUNT LOOKOUT - Dean Regas of Columbia Tusculum figures the late Paul Nohr had a good chuckle during a sundial dedication ceremony Saturday at the Cincinnati Observatory Center.
For most of his life, Nohr was devoted to this Mount Lookout observatory.
He cleaned and rebuilt the two telescopes. He led a drive to save the observatory from the wrecking ball, and today Cincinnati boasts the oldest operating public telescope in the nation: from 1845.
But something was missing at the Paul Nohr Memorial Sundial dedication, and no amount of waiting was going to change that.
"No sun," said 35-year-old Regas. "Paul would have gotten a kick out of that."
This ground level sundial, which has a 50-foot diameter, requires audience participation - and a few rays of sun - to get the time.
It was designed by RWA Architects and found support in donations from businesses and friends of Nohr, a former University of Cincinnati astronomer who died in 2006.
Nohr first came to the observatory in the late 1940s for an astronomy club meeting. His dad drove across town. The boy took weekly trips across the cosmos.
By the time Nohr was an adult, the observatory had fallen into disrepair. Nohr couldn't ignore the place, his wife, Pamela, said. "He loved teaching about astronomy."
And nothing was better than explaining the nuances of the firmament to an awestruck kid. In fact, Nohr wanted to retire from the university to teach children full time.
"I remember when I met him," said Chuck Strubbe, 50, of Hyde Park. "We walked into the observatory. He looked at us and said, 'Here's the telescope - point it at something.'"
"We were like whoa, this telescope was a national treasure."
Nohr knew that telescopes - even antique ones made of wood with lenses from Bavaria - were not museum pieces. They were meant to be viewed not stored.
[The Cincinnati Observatory Center is open to the public on Friday and Saturday nights but reservations are suggested. Children under 18 are admitted for $3; adults, $5. The observatory, on the border of Mount Lookout and Hyde Park at 3489 Observatory Place, has a gift shop on the grounds. Call 321-5186 for reservations or email: [email protected].]
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Philosophy
Oldest operating public telescope--Mount Lookout
Carol Abbott
Cincinnati Observatory Center in Mt. Lookout
Cincinnati Observatory Center in Mt. Lookout
Posthumous accolade of one man's effort to keep a public observatory functioning.
"Sundial brings out astronomer's pals"
by
John Eckberg
March 22nd, 2009
Cincinnati.com
by
John Eckberg
March 22nd, 2009
Cincinnati.com
MOUNT LOOKOUT - Dean Regas of Columbia Tusculum figures the late Paul Nohr had a good chuckle during a sundial dedication ceremony Saturday at the Cincinnati Observatory Center.
For most of his life, Nohr was devoted to this Mount Lookout observatory.
He cleaned and rebuilt the two telescopes. He led a drive to save the observatory from the wrecking ball, and today Cincinnati boasts the oldest operating public telescope in the nation: from 1845.
But something was missing at the Paul Nohr Memorial Sundial dedication, and no amount of waiting was going to change that.
"No sun," said 35-year-old Regas. "Paul would have gotten a kick out of that."
This ground level sundial, which has a 50-foot diameter, requires audience participation - and a few rays of sun - to get the time.
It was designed by RWA Architects and found support in donations from businesses and friends of Nohr, a former University of Cincinnati astronomer who died in 2006.
Nohr first came to the observatory in the late 1940s for an astronomy club meeting. His dad drove across town. The boy took weekly trips across the cosmos.
By the time Nohr was an adult, the observatory had fallen into disrepair. Nohr couldn't ignore the place, his wife, Pamela, said. "He loved teaching about astronomy."
And nothing was better than explaining the nuances of the firmament to an awestruck kid. In fact, Nohr wanted to retire from the university to teach children full time.
"I remember when I met him," said Chuck Strubbe, 50, of Hyde Park. "We walked into the observatory. He looked at us and said, 'Here's the telescope - point it at something.'"
"We were like whoa, this telescope was a national treasure."
Nohr knew that telescopes - even antique ones made of wood with lenses from Bavaria - were not museum pieces. They were meant to be viewed not stored.
[The Cincinnati Observatory Center is open to the public on Friday and Saturday nights but reservations are suggested. Children under 18 are admitted for $3; adults, $5. The observatory, on the border of Mount Lookout and Hyde Park at 3489 Observatory Place, has a gift shop on the grounds. Call 321-5186 for reservations or email: [email protected].]
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"Lick Observatory's astronomy research could end" by Lisa M. Krieger December 16th, 2013 mercurynews.com Astronomical research at Lick Observatory is in peril, due to the University of California's plans to cut funding and convert the 125-year-old...
- Griffith Observatory...renovated And Open To The Public
"Griffith Observatory: Astronomy for the Public" by Elizabeth Howell SPACE.com Griffith Observatory is a Los Angeles-based facility that bills itself as the most-visited observatory in the world. While many professional facilities are solely used by...
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Amazing how some are stored in the memory or photographs long after the actual item is gone and one often wonders what happened to that object. Near me is Park University and had high on top of a hill an observatory that had been designated as the oldest...
- "visit To An Observatory Or Planetarium?" Poll
Mueller Planetarium Have you ever visited an observatory or planetarium? Yes...9 No...0 Good to see the results. I know one voter lives very close to a famous observatory in Southern California and I bet he has worked on one. :) McDonald Observatory University...
- Vatican Astronomy
The Vatican has other interests too--astronomy and a rare book collection. Castel Gandolfo Italy Zeiss Double Astrograph Schmidt Telescope And in conjunction with the Mount Graham International Observatory in southeastern Arizona forming the Vatican...