Historic 24 Inch Clark Telescope at Lowell Observatory to Reopen
Lowell Observatory's historic Clark Telescope in Flagstaff, Arizona will return to tour operations on September 5, 2015 after a 20 month long renovation project. The 24 Inch Clark refractor had been a mainstay for visitor to Lowell for decades, but the constant heavy use resulted in parts wearing out. By 2013, the instrument was in danger of permanent damage if corrective measures weren't taken, so the Observatory undertook a fundraising campaign to support a complete renovation of the telescope and the dome that houses it.
Comments:
Best view I have ever had of Saturn was with the 24" Clark at Lowell in Flagstaff, AZ. They had it set up with a 22mm Panoptic (450x). The image was rock solid. Stunning.<br>David
I'm glad to know they've renovated a great scope. I visited the observatory several years ago with my family and we cherish those memories. We thought about going back a few summers ago but the wildfires caused by lightening strikes kept us away. We hope to see it again in a year or two.
On a vacation with my girlfriend in July 1991 we arrived in Flagstaff at dusk under deep blue skies. As a lifelong astronomy buff of course I had to visit Lowell Observatory. We were treated with a wonderful view of Uranus through the Clark. Great to see it has been renovated and is operating again.
