Editing Lowell Observatory (section)

{{Short description|Astronomical observatory and historic landmark in Arizona, US}}
{{Confused|Lovell Telescope}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox Observatory
|name            = Lowell Observatory
|image           = [[File:Clark dome.jpg|250px]]
|caption         = The [[Alvan Clark|Clark]] Telescope Dome on Mars Hill
|organization    = Private institution
|location        = [[Flagstaff, Arizona]]
|coords          = {{coord|35|12|10|N|111|39|52|W|display=inline,title}}
|altitude        = {{convert|2210|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|weather         =
|established     = 1894
|closed          =
|website         = {{URL|http://www.lowell.edu|lowell.edu}}
|telescope1_name = [[Lowell Discovery Telescope]]
|telescope1_type = {{convert|4.28|m|in|abbr=on}} telescope ''(located at Happy Jack, Arizona)''
|telescope2_name = Perkins Telescope
|telescope2_type = {{convert|72|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[Cassegrain reflector|cassegrain]] telescope ''(located at Anderson Mesa)''
|telescope3_name = John S. Hall Telescope
|telescope3_type = {{convert|42|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[Ritchey-Chretien]] telescope ''(located at Anderson Mesa)''
|telescope4_name = Unnamed telescope
|telescope4_type = {{convert|31|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[reflecting telescope]] ''(located at Anderson Mesa)''
|telescope5_name = [[LONEOS]] Schmidt Telescope
|telescope5_type = {{convert|25|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[catadioptric]] ''(located at Anderson Mesa)''
|telescope6_name = 24-inch Clark Telescope
|telescope6_type = {{convert|24|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[Alvan Clark & Sons|Alvan Clark]] [[refractor]]
|telescope7_name = Unnamed telescope
|telescope7_type = {{convert|21|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} reflecting telescope
|telescope8_name = Unnamed telescope
|telescope8_type = {{convert|18|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[astrograph]]
|telescope9_name = John Vickers McAllister Telescope
|telescope9_type = {{convert|16|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[Boller and Chivens]] cassegrain telescope
|telescope10_name = Abbot L. Lowell Astrograph (Pluto Discovery Telescope)
|telescope10_type = {{convert|13|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} astrograph
|telescope11_name = Planet Search Survey Telescope
|telescope11_type = ''(located at Anderson Mesa)''
|telescope12_name = [[Navy Optical Interferometer|Navy Precision Optical Interferometer]]
|telescope12_type = six-aperture [[astronomical interferometer]] with baselines up to {{convert|437|m|abbr=on}} ''(located at Anderson Mesa, operated in partnership with the [[USNO]] (through [[United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station|NOFS]]) and the [[United States Naval Research Laboratory|NRL]])''
{{Infobox NRHP
| embed                = yes
| name                 = Lowell Observatory
| nrhp_type            = nhl
| image                = LowellObservatory.jpg
| caption              = The Slipher Rotunda Museum at Lowell Observatory
| locmapin             = Arizona#USA
| area                 =
| built                = 1894
| designated_nrhp_type = December 21, 1965<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=89&ResourceType=Building
|title=Lowell Observatory |access-date=September 27, 2007|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=[[National Park Service]]}}</ref>
| added                = October 15, 1966<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
| mpsub                = Flagstaff MRA (AD)
| refnum               = 66000172
}}}}

'''Lowell Observatory''' is an [[astronomy|astronomical]] [[observatory]] in [[Flagstaff, Arizona]], [[United States]]. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1965.<ref name="nhlsum" /><ref name="nrhpinv">{{Cite journal|url={{NHLS url|id=66000172}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Lowell Observatory|author=Marilynn Larew|format=PDF|date=October 31, 1977|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=May 5, 2009}} and {{NHLS url|id=66000172|title=''Accompanying six photos, exterior, from 1964 and 1976''|photos=y}}</ref> In 2011, the Observatory was named one of "The World's 100 Most Important Places" by [[Time Magazine]].<ref name=History/> It was at the Lowell Observatory that the dwarf planet [[Pluto]] was discovered in 1930 by [[Clyde Tombaugh]].

The observatory was founded by astronomer [[Percival Lowell]] of Boston's [[Lowell family]] and is overseen by a sole trustee, a position historically handed down through the family. The first trustee was Lowell's third cousin [[Guy Lowell]] (1916–1927). Percival's nephew [[Roger Putnam]] served from 1927 to 1967, followed by Roger's son [[Michael C. J. Putnam|Michael]] (1967–1987), Michael's brother [[William Lowell Putnam III]] (1987–2013), and current trustee W. Lowell Putnam.

Multiple astronauts attended the Lowell Observatory in 1963 while the moon was being mapped for the [[Apollo Program]].<ref name=History>{{Cite web|url=https://lowell.edu/history/|title=History|website=Lowell Observatory|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-01}}</ref>