Treasures of the Heartland

Patrick C. Carr, President

 

 

On a recent trip to attend a family reunion on the outskirts of Chicago, Illinois, I happened upon what was to be a great astronomical journey.

 

As we left Siloam Springs, Arkansas on a bright and sunny Thursday morning, with my 8" Meade SCT on board, we had no idea of what was to come. As we passed through parts of Oklahoma to make our way into Missouri, I noticed a sign that read "See Our Scale Model Hubble Telescope." I looked at my wife and grinned. "I'll bet it's just a small model put together by some young modeler.", I exhorted. I was about to be proven extremely wrong. The "Scale Hubble" was actually housed on the courthouse lawn of the Weber County Courthouse in Marshfield, Missouri. After pulling into a parking spot and walking up to the model, I read the inscription on the marker: Birthplace of Edwin Hubble. I was extremely excited and happy to see this little town. As we visited the town's courthouse, there was a small exhibition in the basement that told of Hubble's achievements to the field of astronomy, and his theory of red shift. We spent about an hour walking around the model, reading the inscriptions both on the plaque and in the courthouse, and taking pictures for this story.

 

After arriving in Chicago, Illinois, we decided that it was a must see to visit the newly renovated Adler Planetarium on the shores of Lake Michigan. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. The Adler is not only a great planetarium, but also a great astronomical museum. It was the first planetarium to open in the Western Hemisphere in 1930. There was an entire area devoted to the history of astronomy, plus an area entirely made up of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photographs and hands-on exhibitions. But my desire for knowledge was fueled once again when I came upon two unique items: the Atwood Sphere and an Alvin Clark Reflector.

 

The Atwood Sphere is the oldest planetarium in Chicago. What made it extremely unique to me was that you entered the sphere by way of a pull car, and the sphere, painted with phosphorous on the inside to match the constellations, moved around you. What an ingenious piece of work. It had been completely renovated and was an excellent example of an early planetarium, before there were elaborate planetarium lighting projectors.

 

The Alvin Clark Reflector was another exciting piece of astronomical memorabilia. This was a 30" mirror used by Northwestern University. The objectives had been removed and are currently in use by the university, but look at the finish on the scope! It appears to be mahogany or cherry wood veneers. Also be sure to notice the "S" shape of the Clark equatorial mounting. I have been fortunate. I was able to look through a 12" Clark Refractor two years ago at the Astronomical League's Mid-States Regional in Fayette, Missouri. There was also a 4" Clark refractor there from a member. I was able to look at sun spot groups through the smaller one. But, to see a Clark of this size was still a special moment.

 

After leaving the planetarium, I was happy and content. I couldn't wait for the family reunion so that I could show sun spot groupings to some of the members of the family.

 

So remember, when you travel take the time to stop off at the little roadside attractions that are advertised throughout billboards and road signs. You just might find a gem! And a special memory, too.

 

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