The Yarks Future Foundation officially owns the historical yard observatory glass plates, which acquires an important link between the discoveries of astronomy and future discoveries.
Williams Bay, the main dome of the Yarks Observatory at Wisconsin. The Yurkes Future Foundation, which operates the historical observatory, recently finalized the acquisition of the collection of 180,000 astronomical glass plates from the University of Chicago. Credit: Munford/Wikimedia Commons
- The Yarks Future Foundation (YFF) has officially acquired the collection of Yurks Observatory of 180,000 astronomical glass plates from the University of Chicago.
- These glass plates, spread from 1900 to 1970, have astronomical images before digital photography and offer a valuable historical and scientific record of astronomical objects.
- The YFF has planned to launch a civil science project to digitize the entire collection and to translate the concerned logbook, making data accessible to research.
- This acquisition represents a significant step towards the Yerkes Observatory’s historical heritage and uses its resources for future astronomical research.
On 28 June, the Yarks Future Foundation (YFF), which is a non -profit organization, has operated the Yarkes Observatory since 2020, finalized the legal transfer of the site’s large scale astronomical glass plate collection from the University of Chicago. The Foundation is now an official owner and Steward of all 180,000 plates.
Prior to digital cameras, astronomers used large glass plates coated with photosensitive chemicals to catch the images of the night sky. The plates were loaded into a telescope and left for long exposure, resulting in unconscious images.
The yard collection created between 1900 and 1970 is not only a historical value, but also scientific value: as a time capsule of Cosmos, it allows modern astronomers to study how stars, galaxies and other items have been changed more than a century.
The next venture of the YFF is to digitize the entire collection and launch a civil science project where the volunteers will transmit the original handwritten logbook. This effort will unlock the data of the plates, allowing researchers and the public to allow more than a century of observation to answer new astronomical questions.
Future of Yurks
The Yarks Observatory was opened in 1897 in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, built by the visionary astronomer George Elie Hale. The feature is famous for the world’s largest refractory binoculars, and a star-staded list of astronomers, including Edwin Hubble and Carl Sagan, studied or worked within its walls.
The history was almost erased when the University of Chicago, the Longtime operator of Observatory, injured its activities in Yurks in 2018, effectively shut down it. but as Astronomy Last year, detailed, non -profit YFF was quickly designed to save the convenience.
The goal of the YFF is not only to preserve the historical nature of the site, but to serve as a bridge for future scientific research for the observatory. This plate acquisition is a solid first step towards completing that mission.
“These plates represent a remarkable scientific heritage,” Amanda Bauur said, the head of the science and education efforts of the Yirs. “They had captured photons from stars and galaxies a hundred years ago; light that can never be collected again.”
By preserving and sharing this unique dataset, the Yarks is making sure that its centenary old comments can help answer tomorrow’s astronomical questions.
