Observation by Nick James: Telescopes at Lowell - Old and New pt 1

Uploaded by

Nick James

Observer

Nick James

Observed

2026 Mar 21 - 03:53

Uploaded

2026 Mar 22 - 19:39

Objects

Observatory

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Constellation

Aries

Field centre

RA: 02^h11^m
Dec: +27°39'
Position angle: +58°51'

Field size

38° × 26°

Equipment

Sony A7s mk iii, 50mm, f/1.8 lens

Exposure

8s, ISO 1600, f/1.8

Location

Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff

Target name

Giovale Open Deck Observatory

Title

Telescopes at Lowell - Old and New pt 1

About this image

If you are ever anywhere near Flagstaff, Arizona it is well worth making a night-time visit to Lowell observatory on Mars Hill. The observatory was founded in 1894 by Percival Lowell and you can really feel the history here but there are also a lot of modern instruments around.

This is a giant roll-off observatory that houses many high end instruments including a 32-inch Dob, all of which are available for public viewing. The skies at Lowell are remarkably dark even though it is only a mile or so from downtown Flagstaff. This is the result of a set of local lighting rules which ensure that the city is well-lit and the sky stays dark.

The picture was taken looking west just after local evening twilight. This is the direction and time when we get specular reflections from Starlink satellites, hence the numerous trails.

Files associated with this observation

DSC01799.JPG (3.0 MB)

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