From Stonehenge to Keck:From Stonehenge to Keck:Architecture and Architecture and AstronomyAstronomy

C. G. De PreeC. G. De Pree

RARE CATSRARE CATS

Green Bank, WVGreen Bank, WV

June 2002June 2002

QuestionsQuestions

Why have societies observed the Why have societies observed the heavens since ancient times?heavens since ancient times?

What sort of structures have been What sort of structures have been associated with observing the sky?associated with observing the sky?

How have these structures How have these structures changed with time?changed with time?

OverviewOverview

Ancient ObservatoriesAncient Observatories 16th and 17th Century 16th and 17th Century

ObservatoriesObservatories Early Modern (19th century) Early Modern (19th century)

ObservatoriesObservatories Modern ObservatoriesModern Observatories

Ancient ObservatoriesAncient Observatories

Stonehenge/NewgrangeStonehenge/Newgrange Chichen Itza, Caracol TowerChichen Itza, Caracol Tower LocationsLocations

– Horizon lineHorizon line UsesUses

– ReligiousReligious– TimekeepingTimekeeping– CeremonialCeremonial

Newgrange (3200 BCE)Newgrange (3200 BCE)

Aligned to winter solstice (light Aligned to winter solstice (light interior)interior)

One of thousands of sites in One of thousands of sites in EuropeEurope– StonehengeStonehenge

Caracol (Snail) TowerCaracol (Snail) Tower

Location: Chichen Itza, Northern Location: Chichen Itza, Northern YucatanYucatan

Period: Mayan, c. 1000 ADPeriod: Mayan, c. 1000 AD Interior: 16.7 m-diameter tower with Interior: 16.7 m-diameter tower with

spiral staircase and four doorways spiral staircase and four doorways aligned with cardinal directionsaligned with cardinal directions

Upper room: 7 openings aligned with Upper room: 7 openings aligned with the equinoxes and the S transit of the equinoxes and the S transit of Venus Venus

Caracol Tower at Chichen ItzaCaracol Tower at Chichen Itza

Caracol TowerCaracol Tower

Astronomical function: solstice and Astronomical function: solstice and equinox alignments, some star equinox alignments, some star alignmentsalignments

Religious function: apparent Religious function: apparent alignments with Venus alignments with Venus – Mayan tablets mention the rising of Mayan tablets mention the rising of

VenusVenus

– Worship of the wind god EhecatlWorship of the wind god Ehecatl

16th to 18th Century 16th to 18th Century ObservatoriesObservatories

Uraniborg/Stjarneborg (Tycho Uraniborg/Stjarneborg (Tycho Brahe)Brahe)

L’Observatoire de ParisL’Observatoire de Paris– Louis XIVLouis XIV

Royal Greenwich Observatory Royal Greenwich Observatory – Flamsteed, Astronomer RoyalFlamsteed, Astronomer Royal

Uraniborg CastleUraniborg Castle

Location: Island of Hven Location: Island of Hven Date: 1576-1580 (pre-telescope)Date: 1576-1580 (pre-telescope) Complex included: castle, observatory, Complex included: castle, observatory,

papermill, earthworks, dams and pondspapermill, earthworks, dams and ponds Subsidized by Danish State (~1% of Subsidized by Danish State (~1% of

national budget)national budget) Purpose: determine accurate planetary Purpose: determine accurate planetary

positionspositions

Uraniborg: Grounds and Uraniborg: Grounds and InteriorInterior

Castle too smallCastle too small Mounts unstableMounts unstable

Stjarneborg ObservatoryStjarneborg Observatory

Funded by Danish king Frederick IIFunded by Danish king Frederick II Lost funding under Christian IV Lost funding under Christian IV

(1596) (1596) Brahe came under patronage of Brahe came under patronage of

the German emperor Rudolf II the German emperor Rudolf II Relocated to Observatory near Relocated to Observatory near

Prague (1599) Prague (1599)

Paris ObservatoryParis Observatory

Louis XIV funds `l'Observatoire Royal’ Architect: Claude Perrault (ded. 1672) Oriented with the cardinal points of

the compass (in 1667) Paris latitude: Latitude of the south

face Paris longitude: Meridian line passing

through building center

Paris Observatory--Paris Observatory--Planned UsesPlanned Uses

Offices for astronomers/academics Lecture hall and laboratories Instruments dedicated to the

astronomical observations

Old Greenwich Royal Old Greenwich Royal ObservatoryObservatory

Location: Greenwich, EnglandLocation: Greenwich, England Founded: 22 June, 1675 by King Founded: 22 June, 1675 by King

Charles IICharles II Primary purpose: To solve the Primary purpose: To solve the

problem of finding longitude problem of finding longitude John Flamsteed, Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed, Astronomer Royal Observatory added functions over Observatory added functions over

timetime

17-18th Century Interiors17-18th Century InteriorsObserving/Reception RoomObserving/Reception Room

Flamsteed ApartmentFlamsteed Apartment

Meridian BuildingMeridian Building

Houses a ten-foot transit instrument, Houses a ten-foot transit instrument, installed in 1816 installed in 1816

Bradley's original transit instrument is Bradley's original transit instrument is shownshown

Airy Transit CircleAiry Transit Circle

Sir George Biddell Airy (7th Astronomer Sir George Biddell Airy (7th Astronomer Royal) designed a transit instrument, Royal) designed a transit instrument, installed in 1850installed in 1850

Transit circle: special type of telescope Transit circle: special type of telescope moves in a vertical circlemoves in a vertical circle

Transit circles used to accurately Transit circles used to accurately measure stellar positionsmeasure stellar positions

Altazimuth PavilionAltazimuth Pavilion

The Altazimuth Pavilion (1899) Named after the altaz telescope

originally installed in its dome Dome now contains a 'photoheliograph’

(solar projection) Weather vane over the dome represents

Halley's Comet as seen in the Bayeux tapestry

The South BuildingThe South Building

Originally called the New Physical Building (1899)

Astronomer Royal, William Christie (architect William Crisp)

4 wings housed branches: magnetic and meteorological, astro-photography, time, and library

The dome originally accommodated a 30-inch (76.2 cm) reflecting telescope

Jantar MantarJantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar: five observatories Jantar Mantar: five observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh IIbuilt by Sawai Jai Singh II

Locations: New Delhi, Jaipur, Locations: New Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura. Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura.

Built AD 1724–1730Built AD 1724–1730

Samrat Yantra (Gnomon)Samrat Yantra (Gnomon)

Gnomon 90 feet high, points toward Gnomon 90 feet high, points toward PolarisPolaris

Used to find time and declination and Used to find time and declination and hour angle of stars and planetshour angle of stars and planets

Either side of the gnomon is a Either side of the gnomon is a masonry quadrantmasonry quadrant– to read timeto read time

– steps providedsteps provided

Early Modern Early Modern Observatories (19th C)Observatories (19th C)

More remote locations (outside More remote locations (outside cities)cities)

Still show integration of observing Still show integration of observing structure, teaching space and structure, teaching space and research spaceresearch space

e.g. Yerkes Observatory, University e.g. Yerkes Observatory, University of Chicago (1897)of Chicago (1897)

YerkesYerkes

Architect: Henry Ives Cobb Funded: Charles Yerkes (Chicago

streetcars) Astronmer: George Ellery Hale (U.

Chicago) Exterior: Animals, signs of the Zodiac,

phases of the Moon Architecture and technology of late 19th

century, 77-acre site

1893 Columbian Exposition in

Chicago/Installation

Yerkes: 40 in Refractor

Yerkes: Architectural Yerkes: Architectural DetailDetail

Modern ObservatoriesModern Observatories

Separation between observing Separation between observing structure and office/research structure and office/research structurestructure– Mt Wilson Telescopes/Cal TechMt Wilson Telescopes/Cal Tech– Keck I and Keck II/Waimea Keck I and Keck II/Waimea

headquarters/Cal Techheadquarters/Cal Tech– Very Large Array/Array Operations Very Large Array/Array Operations

Center/NRAOCenter/NRAO– HST/NGST/NASA/STScIHST/NGST/NASA/STScI

Palomar ObservatoryPalomar Observatory

George Ellery Hale (Yerkes)George Ellery Hale (Yerkes) Grants from Carnegie Institution of Grants from Carnegie Institution of

WashingtonWashington Mount Wilson 60-inch reflector first Mount Wilson 60-inch reflector first

completed (1908)completed (1908) Harlow Shapley measures the size of Harlow Shapley measures the size of

the MW and our position in it the MW and our position in it 1928, $6 million grant from Rockefeller1928, $6 million grant from Rockefeller

Mt. Wilson 100-in & 200-in Mt. Wilson 100-in & 200-in telescopestelescopes

Keck HeadquartersKeck Headquarters

Located in Waimea Telescopes are 48 miles from HQ Most employees work at

headquarters 20-25 technicians and engineers

commute daily to summit Annual budget $11 million

Keck TelescopeKeck Telescope

Keck Control RoomKeck Control Room

Very Large ArrayVery Large Array

VLA (view looking South)VLA (view looking South)

Orbiting ObservatoriesOrbiting Observatories

Hubble Space Telescope (HST)Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Next Generation Space Telescope Next Generation Space Telescope

(NGST)(NGST) Space Telescope Science Institute Space Telescope Science Institute

(STScI)(STScI)

ReflectionsReflections

Astronomical architecture has evolved Astronomical architecture has evolved along with astronomical technologyalong with astronomical technology

Telescopes and the structures that house Telescopes and the structures that house them are becoming more and more them are becoming more and more remote from most peopleremote from most people

From earliest times, there are alignments From earliest times, there are alignments with cardinal points with cardinal points

Growing separation between instruments Growing separation between instruments and observersand observers