Oak Ridge Observatory

The Oak Ridge Observatory (ORO, code: 801), also known as the George R. Agassiz Station, is located at 42 Pinnacle Road, Harvard, Massachusetts. It was operated by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian as a facility of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) from 1933 until August 19, 2005.^[2]

Description

The observatory was established in 1933. Through its first 40 years, its primary research focus was on tracking minor planets and asteroids in the Solar System. Starting in the 1980s, astronomers began to use the facility to measure stars over long periods of time, which led to hunts for extrasolar planets.

The largest telescope east of Texas in the United States is the 61-inch reflector (see Hobby-Eberly Telescope). However, most of its projects were discontinued in 2005. Harvard University's Optical SETI program continues at the site.^[3]

It also housed an 84-foot (26-metre) steerable radio telescope once used in Project BETA, a search for extraterrestrial intelligence. A 41-cm (16-inch) Boller and Chivens Cassegrain reflector originally housed at Oak Ridge is available for public use at the National Air and Space Museum's Public Observatory Project on the National Mall in Washington, DC.^[4]

The inner main-belt asteroid 4733 ORO, discovered at Oak Ridge in 1982, was named in honor of the observatory.^[5]

List of discovered minor planets

In addition to the discoveries below, the Minor Planet Center inconsistently credits some asteroids such as 4760 Jia-xiang directly to the Harvard College Observatory although they have been discovered at Oak Ridge.

See also

• Harvard University seismograph station
• Hobby–Eberly Telescope
• List of minor planet discoverers § Discovering dedicated institutions
• List of astronomical observatories
• Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory
• Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

References

1. ^ "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 12 January 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
2. ^ "Oak Ridge Observatory". Archived from the original on 2008-05-10. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
3. ^ "Oak Ridge Observatory"
4. ^ NASM AirSpace Blog, March 29, 2009. Archived July 31, 2009 at the Wayback Machine and NASM Public Observatory Project Archived 2010-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(4733) Oro". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (4733) ORO. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 408. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_4643. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.

Further reading

• Bok, Bart J. (1956). "The George R. Agassiz Radio Telescope of Harvard Observatory". Nature. 178 (4527): 232–234. Bibcode:1956Natur.178..232B. doi:10.1038/178232a0. ISSN 0028-0836

External links

• Oak Ridge Observatory
• Slacker Astronomy: Optical SETI at Harvard's Oak Ridge – via YouTube
• Harvard Optical SETI
• The Boston Globe: "Lights out", June 28, 2005