Sommers–Bausch Observatory

Sommers–Bausch Observatory

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Organization	University of Colorado Boulder
Location	Boulder, Colorado
Coordinates
Altitude	1653 meters (feet)
Website	sbo.colorado.edu
Telescopes
Unnamed Telescope 24-inch reflector Unnamed Telescope 18-inch reflector Unnamed Telescope 16-inch reflector

Sommers–Bausch Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on and owned by University of Colorado Boulder. It was built in 1949 and named after Elmer E. Sommers.

It is operated by the university's Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences (APS). Telescopes include 16, 18, and 24 inch Boller and Chivens Cassegrain reflectors and a 10-inch aperture heliostat (solar telescope). The observatory also possesses multiple smaller telescopes and ancillary equipment.

The observatory hosts free public open houses on Friday nights during the academic semester, hosted by students and faculty.

Origins

In 1949 the University of Colorado received a bequest of $49,054 from the estate of Mayme Sommers in memory of her husband Elmer E. Sommers. These funds were used to construct the observatory, which was built in an adapted rural Italian style to match buildings on the campus. The building was dedicated on August 27, 1953, during the 89th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

See also

• List of observatories