The Badger State may not be first in people's minds when it comes to astronomy, with places like Texas and Florida home to NASA and Arizona, California, and Hawaii boasting some of the best observatories in the world, but there are plenty of interesting astronomical activities available in this pastoral Midwestern state. In fact, Astronomy magazine, the world's most widely read English-language magazine about the cosmos, is published in Wisconsin.
The world's largest refracting telescope is housed at the University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory, which sits overlooking Geneva Lake in southeastern Wisconsin. The 100-plus-year-old observatory has hosted such notable astronomers as Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Carl Sagan, and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.
George Ellery Hale, a pioneer in astronomical research, encouraged the University of Chicago to build the behemoth telescope, and with funding from Chicago tycoon Charles Tyson Yerkes, the construction was begun in Wisconsin, where there was less smoke and light pollution to interfere with observing.
The 40-inch refractor is housed in an equally large 90-foot-diameter dome. Because of the great weight of the instrument, the floor of the observatory was made as an immense elevator to allow astronomers access to the telescope and its eyepiece.
In addition to the immense refractor, there are four other research telescopes and domes at the observatory. Inside the observatory a small museum with exhibits and a gift shop welcome visitors. The exterior of the building boasts stunning ornate pillars and walls carved with fanciful images of the moon and signs of the zodiac.
Tours of the observatory are available every Saturday of the year at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon. Tours are free but donations are accepted. Group tours can also be arranged. Ask about observing programs and star parties.
In conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the UW Space Place was begun as an outreach program more than a decade ago to encourage the public's interest in astronomy. Family workshops are held about twice a month and guest speakers inform and entertain listeners once a month at the Space Place location south of campus in Madison. The price is always free. Additional workshops are also held for teachers to assist them in instructing their students and bringing more astronomy to the classrooms.
UW Space Place directors instituted another popular feature called Universe in the Park. During the warmer summer months instructors hold weekend star parties at one of Wisconsin's state parks. The program includes talks, slide shows, question and answer sessions, and, best of all, viewing of celestial objects both naked-eye and with a moderate-size telescope provided by the university.
Long known to UW-Madison college students as a "great date place," Washburn Observatory on Bascom Hill overlooking Lake Mendota is more than just a romantic spot. The 15-inch refractor and dome, completed in 1881, welcome the public every Wednesday evening from June through August and every first and third Wednesday of the month the rest of the year. That is, if the skies are 75 percent free of clouds or more. There are no formal programs, volunteers are simply on hand to help visitors view solar system and deep-sky objects through the telescope.
Visits to any observatory to peer through its telescopes are obviously evening activities. Washburn Observatory opens at 7:30 p.m. during the darker, winter months and 9:00 p.m. during daylight savings time. Observatory domes slide open for the telescope to peer out into the sky, therefore the temperature outside will be the same as the temperature inside the dome, so dress appropriately!
The new state-of-the-art Daniel M. Soref Planetarium resides in the Milwaukee Public Museum, follow the link for an informative review. Some other astronomy-related attractions are listed below.
Contact Information:
- Yerkes Observatory / 373 W. Geneva St / Williams Bay, Wisconsin 53191 / Phone: 262-245-5555
- Daniel M. Soref Planetarium / 800 W. Wells Street / Milwaukee, WI 53233 / Phone: 414-278-2702 and 888-700-9069
- UW Space Place / 1605 S. Park Street / Madison, WI 53715 / Phone: 608-262-4779
- Washburn Observatory / 1401 Observatory Drive / Madison, WI / Phone: 608-262-WASH
- L.E. Phillips Planetarium / University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire / Eau Claire, WI 54702 / Children's Shows at 11 am on Saturdays / Ages 10 and up shows at 7 pm on Saturdays
- HighBridge Hills Northern Lights Educational Center’s Astronomy Camp / P.O. Box 85 / High Bridge, WI 54846 / Phone: 715-274-STAR
- Tommy Bartlett Exploratory with Mir Space Station / 560 Wisconsin Dells Parkway / Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965 / Phone: 608-254-2525
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