Oak Ridge Observatory

Minor planets discovered: 38 <ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />

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The Oak Ridge Observatory (ORO, code: 801), also known as the George R. Agassiz Station, is located at 42 Pinnacle Road, Harvard, Massachusetts. It was operated by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian as a facility of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) from 1933 until August 19, 2005.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Description

The observatory was established in 1933. Through its first 40 years, its primary research focus was on tracking minor planets and asteroids in the Solar System. Starting in the 1980s, astronomers began to use the facility to measure stars over long periods of time, which led to hunts for extrasolar planets.

The largest telescope east of Texas in the United States is the 61-inch reflector (see Hobby-Eberly Telescope). However, most of its projects were discontinued in 2005. Harvard University's Optical SETI program continues at the site.

It also housed an Template:Convert steerable radio telescope once used in Project BETA, a search for extraterrestrial intelligence. A 41-cm (16-inch) Boller and Chivens Cassegrain reflector originally housed at Oak Ridge is available for public use at the National Air and Space Museum's Public Observatory Project on the National Mall in Washington, DC.<ref>NASM AirSpace Blog, March 29, 2009. Template:Webarchive and NASM Public Observatory Project Template:Webarchive</ref>

The inner main-belt asteroid 4733 ORO, discovered at Oak Ridge in 1982, was named in honor of the observatory.<ref name="springer" />

List of discovered minor planets

In addition to the discoveries below, the Minor Planet Center inconsistently credits some asteroids such as 4760 Jia-xiang directly to the Harvard College Observatory although they have been discovered at Oak Ridge.

2674 Pandarus	27 January 1982	Template:Small
2872 Gentelec	5 September 1981	Template:Small
3076 Garber	13 September 1982	Template:Small
3342 Fivesparks	27 January 1982	Template:Small
3773 Smithsonian	23 December 1984	Template:Small
3797 Ching-Sung Yu	22 December 1987	Template:Small
4372 Quincy	3 October 1984	Template:Small
4733 ORO	19 April 1982	Template:Small
5976 Kalatajean	25 September 1992	Template:Small
6696 Eubanks	1 September 1986	Template:Small
6949 Zissell	11 September 1982	Template:Small
7276 Maymie	4 September 1983	Template:Small
7383 Lassovszky	30 September 1981	Template:Small
7386 Paulpellas	25 November 1981	Template:Small

7461 Kachmokiam	3 October 1984	Template:Small
7639 Offutt	21 February 1985	Template:Small
7738 Heyman	24 November 1981	Template:Small
7940 Erichmeyer	13 March 1991	Template:Small
8161 Newman	19 August 1990	Template:Small
8357 O'Connor	25 September 1989	Template:Small
8496 Jandlsmith	16 August 1990	Template:Small
9179 Satchmo	13 March 1991	Template:Small
9291 Alanburdick	17 August 1982	Template:Small
9929 McConnell	24 February 1982	Template:Small
10289 Geoffperry	24 August 1984	Template:Small
10290 Kettering	17 September 1985	Template:Small
12223 Hoskin	8 October 1983	Template:Small
12224 Jimcornell	19 October 1984	Template:Small

Template:Mp	2 August 1992	Template:Small
Template:Mp	22 November 1995	Template:Small
Template:Mp	8 September 1991	Template:Small
Template:Mp	5 December 1986	Template:Small
Template:Mp	16 October 1990	Template:Small
Template:Mp	7 December 1988	Template:Small
Template:Mp	13 August 1985	Template:Small
Template:Mp	24 August 1984	Template:Small
Template:Mp	5 September 1983	Template:Small
Template:Mp	13 September 1982	Template:Small

See also

• Harvard University seismograph station
• Hobby–Eberly Telescope
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• List of astronomical observatories
• Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory
• Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Further reading

• Template:Cite journal

External links

• Oak Ridge Observatory
• Slacker Astronomy: Optical SETI at Harvard's Oak Ridge – via YouTube
• Harvard Optical SETI
• The Boston Globe: "Lights out", June 28, 2005