The Allegheny Observatory is an American astronomical research institution, a part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh . The facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (ref. # 79002157, added June 22, 1979) and is designated as a Pennsylvania state and Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation historic landmark.
41-780: [REDACTED] Look up Allegheny or Alleghany in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Allegheny , Alleghany or Allegany may refer to: Places [ edit ] Geologic and geographic features [ edit ] Allegheny River , in Pennsylvania and New York Allegheny Mountains , part of the Appalachian Mountain Range in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia Allegheny Mountain (Pennsylvania) , major mountain ridge in
82-700: A city annexed by the city of Pittsburgh in 1907 Allegheny Township, Blair County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Protected areas [ edit ] Allegheny National Forest , Pennsylvania Allegheny National Recreation Area , Pennsylvania Allegheny Wildlife Management Area , in Mineral County, West Virginia High Allegheny National Park and Preserve ,
123-636: A city annexed by the city of Pittsburgh in 1907 Allegheny Township, Blair County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Protected areas [ edit ] Allegheny National Forest , Pennsylvania Allegheny National Recreation Area , Pennsylvania Allegheny Wildlife Management Area , in Mineral County, West Virginia High Allegheny National Park and Preserve ,
164-532: A class of 2-6-6-6 locomotives Organizations [ edit ] Alleghany Corp. , an insurance holding company Allegheny Airlines , a forerunner of US Airways Allegheny College , in Meadville, Pennsylvania Allegheny Energy , a public utility (including its subsidiary Allegheny Power) Allegheny Foundation , a charitable organization focused on Western Pennsylvania Allegheny Mountain Radio ,
205-423: A class of 2-6-6-6 locomotives Organizations [ edit ] Alleghany Corp. , an insurance holding company Allegheny Airlines , a forerunner of US Airways Allegheny College , in Meadville, Pennsylvania Allegheny Energy , a public utility (including its subsidiary Allegheny Power) Allegheny Foundation , a charitable organization focused on Western Pennsylvania Allegheny Mountain Radio ,
246-481: A collaborative effort to observe a transit of the planet HD 80606 b . The group is also actively contributing to upgrading the Allegheny Observatory. In 2009, the university's Department of Geology and Planetary Science installed Western Pennsylvania's only seismic station, which is connected to IRIS Consortium networks, in the observatory. When the new Allegheny Observatory was designed it
287-404: A conference. Observatory staff advised him that the lens of the 13 inch Fitz Telescope had been taken for ransom which Langley refused to pay; an argument with the unknown lens-napper ensued without resolve. It has been speculated that Langley knew the identity of the lens-napper, his or her identity is still a mystery. The lens-napper thought that with the involvement of the newspapers investigating
328-413: A network of radio stations in West Virginia and Virginia Allegheny Technologies , a specialty metals company Allegheny (titular see) , a Roman Catholic titular see Pittsburgh Allegheny (International Association) , a nineteenth century minor league baseball team that, at times, played under the name "Allegheny" Biology [ edit ] Pachysandra procumbens or Allegheny pachysandra,
369-413: A network of radio stations in West Virginia and Virginia Allegheny Technologies , a specialty metals company Allegheny (titular see) , a Roman Catholic titular see Pittsburgh Allegheny (International Association) , a nineteenth century minor league baseball team that, at times, played under the name "Allegheny" Biology [ edit ] Pachysandra procumbens or Allegheny pachysandra,
410-652: A passenger train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad Allegheny Railroad , a railroad operating in northwestern Pennsylvania (1985–92) Allegheny station (disambiguation) , stations of the name Allegheny Valley Railroad , a railroad operating in Western Pennsylvania since 1992 Allegheny Valley Street Railway , an electric rail line operating along the Allegheny River (1906–37) Allegheny class,
451-416: A passenger train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad Allegheny Railroad , a railroad operating in northwestern Pennsylvania (1985–92) Allegheny station (disambiguation) , stations of the name Allegheny Valley Railroad , a railroad operating in Western Pennsylvania since 1992 Allegheny Valley Street Railway , an electric rail line operating along the Allegheny River (1906–37) Allegheny class,
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#1732765629205492-558: A plant in the box family Allegheny woodrat , a species of pack rat in the eastern US Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander , a species of the eastern US and Canada Allegheny mound ant , a species of the eastern US and Canada "Allegheny alligator", nickname for the hellbender Allegheny chinquapin ( Castanea pumila ), a species of chestnut See also [ edit ] All pages with titles beginning with Allegheny All pages with titles beginning with Alleghany Allegany (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
533-558: A plant in the box family Allegheny woodrat , a species of pack rat in the eastern US Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander , a species of the eastern US and Canada Allegheny mound ant , a species of the eastern US and Canada "Allegheny alligator", nickname for the hellbender Allegheny chinquapin ( Castanea pumila ), a species of chestnut See also [ edit ] All pages with titles beginning with Allegheny All pages with titles beginning with Alleghany Allegany (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
574-801: A proposed NPS unit in West Virginia Man-made features [ edit ] Allegheny Cabin (Rohrbaugh Cabin), historic structure in eastern West Virginia Allegheny Observatory , at the University of Pittsburgh Allegheny Mountain Tunnel , a vehicular tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Allegheny Reservoir , a reservoir on the Allegheny River Allegheny River Tunnel , a light rail tunnel under
615-418: A proposed NPS unit in West Virginia Man-made features [ edit ] Allegheny Cabin (Rohrbaugh Cabin), historic structure in eastern West Virginia Allegheny Observatory , at the University of Pittsburgh Allegheny Mountain Tunnel , a vehicular tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Allegheny Reservoir , a reservoir on the Allegheny River Allegheny River Tunnel , a light rail tunnel under
656-636: A signal on telegraph lines operated by railroads in Canada and the United States . The signal marked noon, Eastern Standard Time, and railroads across the continent synchronized their schedules based on this signal. The standard time that began on this day continues in North American use to this day. The revenues from the sale of time signals covered Langley's salary and the bills. Allegheny Observatory continued to supply time signals until
697-439: A target star and its close neighbors are measured on digital images taken every 30–60 seconds, and if a planet crosses (transits) in front of its parent star's disk, then the observed visual brightness of the star drops a small amount. The amount the star dims depends on the relative sizes of the star and the planet. The research team consists of students at the University of Pittsburgh whose observations have recently contributed to
738-532: Is believed to have been the first regular and systematic system of time distribution to railroads and cities as well as the origin of the modern standard time system. By 1870, the Allegheny Time service extended over 2,500 miles with 300 telegraph offices receiving time signals. On November 18, 1883, the first day of railroad standard time in North America , the Allegheny Observatory transmitted
779-487: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Allegheny [REDACTED] Look up Allegheny or Alleghany in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Allegheny , Alleghany or Allegany may refer to: Places [ edit ] Geologic and geographic features [ edit ] Allegheny River , in Pennsylvania and New York Allegheny Mountains , part of
820-540: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Allegheny Observatory The observatory was founded on February 15, 1859, in the city of Allegheny, Pennsylvania (incorporated into the City of Pittsburgh in 1907) by a group of wealthy industrialists calling themselves the Allegheny Telescope Association . The observatory's initial purpose
861-496: The US Naval Observatory started offering it for free in 1920. More recently George Gatewood began using the Allegheny Observatory to search for extrasolar planets as well as to follow up on claims of extrasolar planets, starting in 1972. This is done using astrometry, which is the practice of measuring the position of stars. In addition to studying the positions of stars on the thousands of photographic plates in
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#1732765629205902-737: The Allegheny River in Pittsburgh Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum , a former psychiatric hospital turned tourist attraction in West Virginia Trails [ edit ] Allegheny Trail , a hiking trail in West Virginia Great Allegheny Passage including parts in Maryland and Pennsylvania Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland , a rail trail Rail [ edit ] Allegheny (train) ,
943-414: The Allegheny River in Pittsburgh Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum , a former psychiatric hospital turned tourist attraction in West Virginia Trails [ edit ] Allegheny Trail , a hiking trail in West Virginia Great Allegheny Passage including parts in Maryland and Pennsylvania Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland , a rail trail Rail [ edit ] Allegheny (train) ,
984-891: The Appalachian Mountain Range in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia Allegheny Mountain (Pennsylvania) , major mountain ridge in the northern part of the Allegheny Mountains Little Allegheny Mountain , in Pennsylvania and Maryland; see list of mountains of the Alleghenies Allegheny Mountain (West Virginia–Virginia) , major mountain ridge in the southern part of the Allegheny Mountains Back Allegheny Mountain , in West Virginia Allegheny Plateau , which terminates in
1025-418: The building expanded to include dark rooms, class rooms, dormitories, and a lecture hall. In 1869, Langley created income for observatory by selling subscription service to time that was accurately determined by astronomical measurements and transmitted over telegraphs to customers. The Pennsylvania Railroad was the most influential subscriber to the "Allegheny Time" system. The Allegheny Observatory's service
1066-713: The companion can be measured by the size of the wobble. MAP is no longer in use and the Thaw telescope is in the process of rewiring and upgrading. A model of the original observatory can be found in the Miniature Railroad & Village exhibit at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh and in 2012 a documentary film was released covering the observatory's history. Langley was the director when he returned home in Allegheny City on July 8, 1872, following
1107-485: The crypt holds the remains of Brashear's wife Phoebe and Keeler's wife Cora Matthews Keeler and son Henry Bowman Keeler. The original observatory building was converted into an athletics training facility in 1907 and used by the university's football team . The original observatory building was sold, along with the rest of the adjacent university buildings, to the Protestant Orphan Asylum prior to
1148-857: The east at the Allegheny Mountains Allegheny Front , the escarpment delineating the eastern edge of the Allegheny Plateau Allegheny Formation , a mapped bedrock unit of West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania Counties [ edit ] Allegany County, Maryland Allegany County, New York Alleghany County, North Carolina Alleghany County, Virginia Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Communities and townships [ edit ] Alleghany, California , unincorporated community in Sierra County Allegheny, Kentucky Allegheny, Pennsylvania ,
1189-536: The escarpment delineating the eastern edge of the Allegheny Plateau Allegheny Formation , a mapped bedrock unit of West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania Counties [ edit ] Allegany County, Maryland Allegany County, New York Alleghany County, North Carolina Alleghany County, Virginia Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Communities and townships [ edit ] Alleghany, California , unincorporated community in Sierra County Allegheny, Kentucky Allegheny, Pennsylvania ,
1230-637: The first, unmanned, aircraft capable of stable continuously powered flight from a houseboat on the Potomac River . His full-size manned Aerodrome was funded by the U.S. Army. Two well-publicized crashes of the Aerodrome in 1903 ended his flight research. The original observatory building was replaced by the current structure, shown in the photograph above. It was designed in the Classic Revival style by Thorsten E. Billquist. The cornerstone
1271-453: The general public. The core of the building is a small rotunda , housing an opalescent glass window depicting the Greek muse of astronomy, Urania , designed by artist Mary Elizabeth Tillinghast . A crypt in the basement of the observatory holds the ashes of two eminent astronomers and former directors of the Allegheny Observatory, James Edward Keeler and John Brashear . [1] In addition,
Allegheny - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-438: The incidents his identity may be discovered so told Langley he could have back the lens. No clue was given as to its location but it was eventually found in a Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania , hotel wastepaper basket. It being scratched made it useless so it was re-ground by lens maker Alvan Clark . When it was reinstalled the clarity was improved so the lens-napping benefited the observatory. In gratitude, Langley added Clark's name to
1353-488: The move of the main academic portion of the university to the Oakland section of Pittsburgh in 1909. The original observatory building was torn down in the 1950s and the site is now occupied by Triangle Tech . The main active research pursuit at the Allegheny Observatory involves detections of extrasolar planets . This is done using photometry, which is the practice of measuring the brightness of stars. The brightness of
1394-419: The northern part of the Allegheny Mountains Little Allegheny Mountain , in Pennsylvania and Maryland; see list of mountains of the Alleghenies Allegheny Mountain (West Virginia–Virginia) , major mountain ridge in the southern part of the Allegheny Mountains Back Allegheny Mountain , in West Virginia Allegheny Plateau , which terminates in the east at the Allegheny Mountains Allegheny Front ,
1435-454: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Allegheny . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Allegheny&oldid=1139585502 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1476-454: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Allegheny . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Allegheny&oldid=1139585502 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1517-462: The telescope. Langley also researched heavier-than-air flight behind the observatory. To study the aerodynamic behavior of different forms traveling at high speeds he built a large spring "whirling arm" to which stuffed birds and wings he made were attached. After leaving Allegheny Observatory to become secretary of the Smithsonian in 1888, he continued his flight research, designing and flying
1558-495: The vaults of the observatory, George Gatewood also designed the Multichannel Astrometric Photometer (MAP) for use with the Thaw telescope to measure the position of a target star and its close neighbors on images taken 6 months apart. This technique takes advantage of parallax. If the target star has a companion then it will wobble due to the gravitational pull of the unseen companion. The size of
1599-499: Was done with the public in mind; the floor plan included a lecture hall. When the new facility first went into operation, on every clear evening it was opened for the public to look through the 13" telescope but if it were a cloudy night "they would be given an illustrated lecture on astronomy." John Brashear once said "the Allegheny observatory would remain forever free to the people" and to this day it has although in modern times
1640-629: Was for general public education as opposed to research, but by 1867 the revenues derived from this had receded. The facility was then donated to the Western University of Pennsylvania , today known as the University of Pittsburgh . The University hired Samuel Pierpont Langley to be the first director. One of the research programs initiated under his leadership was of sunspots . He drew very detailed drawings of sunspots which are still used in astronomical textbooks to this day. He also had
1681-503: Was laid in 1900, and the new structure was completed in 1912. It is located four miles north of downtown Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , at Riverview Park . The building is a tan brick and white terra cotta hilltop temple whose Classical forms and decoration symbolize the unity of art and science. The L-shaped building consists of a library, lecture hall, classrooms, laboratories, offices, and three hemispherical domed telescope enclosures. Two were reserved for research; one for use by schools and