Eye to the sky

Gazing up at the stars through the telescope at the Kirkwood Observatory has been a common Wednesday night activity for aspiring astronomers for the past 100 years. But at the same time as the observatory is celebrating its centennial birthday, it is going through extensive rehabilitation. As a result, all classes, public telescope nights and other activities at the observatory have been canceled. Yet, since the early 1900s, the observatory has been an \nimportant part of IU's campus. \nA hundred years of exploration\nConstruction of the observatory started in the 1900s, while the observatory was officially dedicated May 15,1901. One of its main features was a well-known Warner and Swayze telescope, which was considered not only one of the best in the United States, but also the largest telescope in the state. The naming of the observatory came from Daniel Kirkwood, for whom Kirkwood Hall, Avenue and Observatory are named.\nKirkwood lived and taught in Bloomington for 30 years in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He published several articles and books about comets, asteroids and meteors, and is known worldwide for the discovery of the orbits of asteroids, which are known as the "Kirkwood Gaps." \nFrom its early history until today, the Kirkwood Observatory has been used as a center for astronomy research, classes and stargazing. \nSenior Emily Freeland, an astronomy major, said she remembers using the observatory quite often throughout her college career.\n"We were responsible for running the public open houses on Wednesday nights ... Running the open houses was really fun," she said. "I remember when my dad used to take me to the open houses when I was a little kid."\nKent Honeycutt, chairman of the astronomy department, said until the fall of 1999, there were three main uses for the building: student use for non-majors, public open telescope nights and quantitative uses for astronomy majors.\nBalancing history with innovation\nThe observatory is undergoing massive rehabilitation to restore it to good condition. Honeycutt, in his recent edition of his alumni newsletter "Kirkwood Society," explained its current poor conditions.\n"The building is pretty run-down, and so is the telescope," he said. "The most serious situation is with the old wooden dome, which is now so unreliable that we cannot use the nighttime telescope for scheduled events such as classes or open house." \n"Being as how the telescope is closed to the public and to the students until further notice, I'm looking forward to the renovation so that we can regain access to the telescope," senior Clayton Carter said. \nWhile Honeycutt said the project hasn't actually begun yet, the University Architects have already planned the renovation procedure.\nDavid Walter, the production architect for the Kirkwood Observatory project, said three major projects are in the works.\nThe original Warner Swayze telescope will be disassembled and renovated. Walter said the telescope, although still in working condition, lacks the capability to track the moon as the Earth rotates. \nThe second major project is to repair the dome, which on the outside consists of white-colored, rusted steel that needs to be replaced. Some of the rotted interior wood that supports the dome will be fixed as well. \nThe last renovation effort is to work on the building itself, including replacing the flat part of the roof, putting new mortar in between the exterior stones, and repairing the wooden floor where the telescope sits. Walter said they plan to strip and repaint all of the wooden doors and the windows to ensure they work properly. \nThe key to renovating the observatory is making certain the building still retains its historical value, Honeycutt said. He said it was difficult to find the right balance between updating the observatory for teaching purposes and preserving it historically, as the building is on the National Register of Historical Places.\n"The fact that the building is considered a historical landmark is both a blessing and a curse for the renovation project as it requires a good bit of extra effort and care since the outer appearance of the building cannot be changed at all," Carter said. \nWalter said he estimates the majority of the work should be finished by the summer of 2001. \nGazing into the future\nAfter the renovations are completed, the future uses of the observatory could be greatly improved. \nBen Brabson, the facility adviser for the IU Physics and Astronomy Society, said he believes the society would like to become more involved with the observatory. When they heard of the observatory's renovation, they offered to help with the restoration process. But the potential danger of working on the building deemed it impossible for them to help.\n"My guess is that the club can become active in the process after they finish the major structural work of the observatory ... my sense is that they are very interested in becoming part of the activities at the observatory," Brabson said.\nWhile no plans to formally celebrate the anniversary of the building exist, astronomy students such as senior Emily Freeland agree the observatory is a special place on IU's campus. "Having an observatory on campus is something special," she said. " Not all colleges have one. It gives students a peek into their beautiful universe ... It is a symbol of our search for knowledge about our universe and ourselves"