Harvard College Observatory, Astronomical observatory in Cambridge, United States
The Harvard College Observatory operates multiple telescopes and research facilities within a complex of buildings at Harvard University's Department of Astronomy.
Founded in 1839, the observatory housed the largest telescope in North America from 1847 to 1867, a 15-inch Great Refractor made by Merz and Mahler.
The institution employed numerous female astronomers who made significant discoveries, including Annie Jump Cannon and Henrietta Swan Leavitt as stellar classification researchers.
The observatory maintains a collection of 500,000 astronomical plates taken between the 1880s and 1989, providing data for studying temporal variations in space.
Between 1847 and 1852, the observatory produced the first detailed daguerreotype photographs of the moon, winning technical excellence at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition.
Location: Cambridge
Inception: 1839
Official opening: 1839
Elevation above the sea: 24 m
Website: http://cfa.harvard.edu/hco
GPS coordinates: 42.38146,-71.12837
Latest update: May 11, 2025 04:30
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