Editing Cincinnati Observatory (section)

==History==
[[Image:Refractor Cincinnati observatory.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Illustration of the 11 inch [[Merz Telescopes|"Merz and Mahler"]] refracting telescope<ref>from "Smith's Illustrated Astronomy", 1848</ref>]]

Cincinnati Observatory was built by [[Ormsby M. Mitchel]] at the peak of [[Mount Adams, Cincinnati|Mount Ida]],<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eJxABLtxX60C&q=1880%20cincinnati&pg=PA713 | title=Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1 | publisher=Biographical Publishing Company | year=1904 | access-date=2013-05-22 | author=Charles Theodore Greve | pages=713}}</ref> a hill that overlooks downtown Cincinnati. [[Nicholas Longworth (winemaker)|Nicholas Longworth]] donated {{convert|4|acre|ha}} of land for the purpose.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eJxABLtxX60C&q=1880%20cincinnati&pg=PA898 | title=Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1 | publisher=Biographical Publishing Company | year=1904 | access-date=2013-05-22 | author=Charles Theodore Greve | pages=898}}</ref> The [[Holy Cross Monastery and Chapel]] stands today at the site.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kgnS65gAbJoC&q=cincinnati+workhouse&pg=PA50 | title=Cincinnati Landmarks | publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] | date=Oct 29, 2012 | access-date=2013-05-19 | author=Rolfes, Steven | pages=50| isbn=9780738593951 }}</ref> The cornerstone was laid on November 9, 1843, and presiding over the occasion was former [[President of the United States|President]] [[John Quincy Adams]], with an introduction by Judge [[Jacob Burnet]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eJxABLtxX60C&q=1880%20cincinnati&pg=PA899 | title=Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1 | publisher=Biographical Publishing Company | year=1904 | access-date=2013-05-22 | author=Charles Theodore Greve | pages=899}}</ref>  At 77 years old, it was to be his last public speech, and Mount Ida was renamed to [[Mount Adams, Cincinnati|Mount Adams]] in his honor.

The Merz refractor was the biggest telescope in the United States in the early 1840s.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r5ePcHxf0T4C&q=yale+college+observatory+first+usa+observatory&pg=PA37|title=The Harvard College Observatory: The First Four Directorships, 1839-1919|last1=Jones|first1=Bessie Judith (Zaban)|last2=Jones|first2=Bessie Z.|last3=Jones|first3=Bessie Zaban|last4=Boyd|first4=Lyle Gifford|date=1971|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=9780674374607|language=en}}</ref>

In 1871, the Observatory came under the control of the [[University of Cincinnati]] and in 1873 it was transferred from Mt. Adams to Mt. Lookout in order to escape the smoke and dirt of the city, where it remains today.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uQg9XG6I9CsC&q=vas+you+ever+in+zinzinnati&pg=PA12 | title=Legendary Locals of Cincinnati | publisher=Arcadia Publishing | date=Jan 4, 2012 | access-date=2013-05-07 | author=Grace, Kevin | pages=12| isbn=9781467100021 }}</ref> The ground on which it stands was given to the city by John Kilgour in 1872.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eJxABLtxX60C&q=1880%20cincinnati&pg=PA896 | title=Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1 | publisher=Biographical Publishing Company | year=1904 | access-date=2013-05-22 | author=Charles Theodore Greve | pages=896}}</ref>  A smaller structure, the Mitchel Building, holds the original telescope taken from the Mount Adams observatory. The 1873 building was built by the firm of Cincinnati architect [[Samuel Hannaford]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dW-52BWC4LoC&q=%22guilford+school%22+AND+cincinnati&pg=PA308 | title=Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors | year=1943 | access-date=2013-05-04 | author=Federal Writers' Project | author-link=Federal Writers' Project | pages=308| publisher=Best Books on | isbn=9781623760519 }}</ref> From 1884 to 1930 the director of the Observatory was [[Jermain G. Porter]].<ref>[https://runeberg.org/salmonsen/2/19/0451.html Porter, Jermain Gildersleeve]. ''Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon'' (andra utgåvan, 1925).</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1933/04/15/archives/dr-jg-porter-astronomer-dead-authority-on-stellar-motion-wrote.html "Dr. J.G. Porter, Astronomer, Dead"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref>  In 1998 the Observatory was declared a National Historic Landmark.

The [[asteroid]] [[1373 Cincinnati]] was named to honor the staff of the observatory.

=== Instruments ===
* The 1845 Merz und Mahler 11&nbsp;inch [[refractor]] – Housed in the "Mitchel Building". May be the oldest continually used telescope in the world. It is currently used for public education programs.
* The 1904 [[Alvan Clark & Sons]] 16&nbsp;inch refractor – Housed in the "Herget Building". Used in public education programs and graduate research.
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