Abandoned Observatories: 1. Defunct Astronomical Institutions(Exploring the world’s abandoned observatories and astronomical institutions)We’ve documented a wealth of derelict radar stations and forgotten scientific research installations on this blog so far, but to date, other than the odd isolated example, we haven’t explored abandoned observatories. For that reason, we decided it was high time to examine some of the most impressive and interesting examples of forgotten astronomical institutions that the planet has to offer. Following in the footsteps of io. Web. Urbanist, here are 1. Patagonia to the mountains of Eurasia and beyond. Abandoned Warner & Swasey Observatory in Cleveland, Ohio, USA(Images: Mark Souther)It’s hard to believe that the Warner and Swasey observatory is nearly a century old. Once the focal point of astronomy in Cleveland, the 1. Yet even back at the end of World War One, it’s equipment was already somewhat out of date. The 9. 5 inch refracting telescope installed on the roof had first been constructed in 1. Despite its slight backwardness, the observatory made game efforts to keep up with the times. A 2. 4- inch, and then a 3. Discover Fengdu Ghost City in Chongqing, China: City of Ghosts attracts tourists from all over looking to learn about the Chinese vision of the afterlife. View hotels, make reservations, browse things to do, restaurants, nightlife, coupons, events and more with the Greater Ocean City, MD Chamber of Commerce. In folklore, a ghost (sometimes known as an apparition, haunt, phantom, poltergeist, shade, specter or spectre, spirit, spook, and wraith) is the soul or spirit of a. M- type and carbon stars to be performed. Yet, the old Warner & Swasey observatory was always living on borrowed time. As the US population increased, and more and more houses sprung up, things eventually got too bright. By 1. 95. 0, the stars could no longer be clearly seen from the observatory, smothered by the city’s light pollution. While it stayed open for another 3. By 1. 98. 3, it had closed for good. Abandoned Observatory in Patagonia(Image: Doug Letterman)Established in 1. F. It’s understood that this abandoned observatory remained operational for just a few years before closing down due to high running costs (exacerbated in part due to its remote location) and inclement weather conditions that made monitoring the night sky difficult. When photographer Doug Letterman trekked up to the structure, he found it to be conspicuously empty. Abandoned Observatory in Pfaffenthal, Luxembourg(Image: Tristan Schmurr)Tiny Luxembourg City is so incredibly diminutive, it’s hard to believe anything could ever disappear here. This abandoned observatory is a testament to how wrong- headed that notion is. Itself lost in the city’s small Pfaffenthal Quarter (population: under 2,0. As this picture shows, it’s fallen completely derelict. It’s hard looking at the photo to imagine exactly why this place might have fallen into such woeful disrepair. Creepers wind their way lazily across the metal roof, turning the whole building a brilliant, forlorn green. Tree branches seem to reach down for it, as if hoping to hoist the whole thing into the air and whisk it off into the depths of the forest. Broken metal, trailing wires, and traces of mould all contribute to a general air of neglect, as if this place hasn’t seen any humans for a very long time. Perhaps this isn’t surprising.
As can be seen from this map, levels of light pollution in Luxembourg are such that the entire country seems bathed in a perpetual orange glow. Mohon del Trigo Observatory, Sierra Nevada, Spain(Images: Fouaustral)In the vast expanse of Spain’s southern Andaluc. The Sierra Nevada cuts across Spain like a serrated knife, carving through the country’s heart. Cold, forbidding, remote and beautiful, it’s exactly the sort of place you might expect to find some long- forgotten treasure. For those of us interested in urban exploration and modern ruins, that treasure could well be the the Mohon del Trigo observatory. Built in 1. 90. 2, the observatory sits on a lonely outcrop of jagged mountain, a pale red streak against the endless blue skies. Once a place of cutting- edge technology, it was outmoded in almost no time at all by the relentless march of the 2. Rather than continuously trying to update the ageing equipment, the owners abandoned it. By the mid- 1. 97. Image: Jebulon)Today, the building has found a second life, of sorts, as a minor tourist icon, having been restored to its former glory (despite remaining empty). According to Atlas Obscura, it is now the subject of more photographs than the observatory itself ever took. Abandoned Prairie Observatory in Illinois, USA(Images: Robert W Porter 1, 2)There’s a reason many observatories are built in deserts or on mountaintops. The clear, often dry air is good not just for peering into the mysteries of the universe, but for keeping equipment in working order, too. But what do you do if you’re a keen astronomer living hundreds of miles from the nearest mountain? If you’re the owner of this observatory on the Illinois prairie, the answer is simple. You build your own observation station and leave it to the weather gods to sort the rest out. The work of the University of Illinois, the observatory was built to take advantage of a local dark sky site, on the very edge of Walnut Point State Park. It went into operation in 1. Cassegrain reflector on site, at a cost of nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Despite this considerable expense, though, the astronomical institution didn’t last long. Closed down a mere 1. Now little more than a ruined hulk, the abandoned observatory building today, and the telescope it once housed, are all but forgotten. The “White Elephant” in Carpathian National Nature Park(Image: Taras Dut.)The great Carpathian Mountains are one of Europe’s last true wildernesses. A savage world of soaring peaks, wandering rivers, and prowling packs of wolves and lynx, they arc through central and eastern Europe, stretching from the Czech Republic in the west to Romania in the east. On their way, they pass over the fringes of Ukraine, where our next forgotten observatory is found. Built in the days when this area was still part of Poland, it opened in 1. On some level, this was probably a relief. The derelict observatory was so remote, so big, so expensive to operate that it was dubbed “Bialy Slon” (the white elephant). On another level, though, the cause of the astronomical facility’s abandonment couldn’t have been grimmer. Poland was overrun by Nazi troops, who turned the observatory into a garrison post. When they left, it was only so the Red Army could occupy it in turn. Finally abandoned for good at the conclusion to World War Two, the building has stood empty ever since; a grand, crumbling ruin, no longer even within the borders of the country that established it. Derelict Observatory Near Bloomington, Indiana, USA(Images: Timothy Richards)Another derelict observatory, this time in the woods near Bloomington, Indiana. It’s understood from comments on the photo page that light pollution became a problem for this small astronomical facility after a shopping mall was built in the area. The abandoned observatory dome appears to be formed of an inner layer of timber covered by shingle tiles. El Caracol Observatory, Chich. A modern observatory built from ancient stone and made to appear centuries old, it seems the height of tackiness; a naff way of cashing in on the 2. Mayan. And then you take a closer look, and feel your mind go whirling off in wonder. This isn’t some new building made to look ancient. It is ancient. El Caracol was built in 9. AD. To look at pictures of it is to look back at the dawn of modern observatories. Everything about this old stone structure is unbelievable. Situated at the top of a Mayan pyramid, its windows were seemingly carved at intervals that would allow its owners to track the course of the planet Venus across the horizon. Raised above the canopy of the steaming rainforest, it would have given a then- unprecedented 3. For comparison, when the Mayans were building this wonder, the inhabitants of modern Britain were busy suffering Viking raids and fighting one another for control of Colchester. Abandoned Observatories at Wheal Busy, Cornwall, England(Image: Google Earth)Towards the Atlantic edge of Cornwall’s curving peninsula lies the sad ruins of the observatory at Wheal Busy. Once an important mining area, in the days when Cornwall exported the lion’s share of the world’s tin, Wheal Busy fell into disuse sometime around the turn of the 2. At some point, an attempt was made to turn the tide by installing a new observatory. Then that, too, fell into disrepair. Fast forward to today, and little remains of either venture but lifeless ruins. Arguably, the abandoned observatory’s fate is the sadder of the two. While the relics of Wheal Busy mine have been preserved – indeed, are recognised by UNESCO – the old buildings where people came to stare at the stars have been simply forgotten. Alone and forlorn they sit in the middle of an empty field, looking listlessly at the heavens with eyes that can no longer see. Ruined Observatory on Summit of Ben Nevis, Scotland(Images: Blisco; Snapshots Of The Past (inset); Malcolm Morris; Stephen Mc. Kay)Welcome to the remains of one of the oldest observatories in our article. While the Ben Nevis observatory couldn’t hope to compete with El Caracol in Mexico, its origins still lie significantly further in the past than most others here. In 1. 88. 1 the magnificently- bearded spiritualist and meteorologist, Clement Lindley Wragge, had gotten into the habit of ascending Ben Nevis every single day to take weather readings. Finding his data useful, the Scottish Meteorological Society decided to make a permanent base for monitoring the mountaintop. In 1. 88. 3, the Ben Nevis observatory was born. For the next twenty years, the observatory became a mecca for weather readings, atmospheric studies, and all manner of other supremely useful things. While astronomy didn’t get much of a look in, various other experiments did. It was up here that CTR Wilson got the idea for his Nobel Prize- winning cloud chamber. Despite this, government funding was hard to secure. In 1. 90. 4, it dried up altogether. The observatory shut down. Today, hardly anything remains to show it was ever even here. Rody seeing ghosts at Palace . Brown or his lovely daughter, President Duterte says he sees ghosts at Malaca. Kay ang multo sa Malaca. The President described the ghost as a Filipina looking so pale she could be a “white lady.” “Iyon bang multo na Pilipina, nakita ko nga, Pilipina na luspad (the ghost that I see is a Filipina who is so pale),” the President added. Duterte said that another ghost he sees in the Palace sits on a rocking chair and holds a pipe. Homepage ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1“Malaca. Abay linte ni ah. Diri ta, retreat, retreat. Si didto ako katulog sa kagagmay na kwarto sa atbang,” the President said, explaining that he prefers to sleep in the smaller rooms in Bahay Pagbabago which could be reached by a small boat crossing the Pasig River. The President at first did not relish even holding office at Malaca. Duterte initially just wanted to stay in a nearby hotel but security considerations made him agree to stay at Bahay Pagbabago whenever he is in Manila. Most weekends, the President comes home to Davao City.
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