John Stchur
Pronouns: he/him
Research Mentor(s): Gary Krenz
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Bentley Historical Library / Other
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 2 – 11am – 11:50am
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Sam Stchur, Gary Krenz
Presenter: 63
Abstract
The Detroit Observatory is one of the oldest buildings at the University of Michigan, predating every building except the President’s House. Since the Astronomy department’s move out of the iconic structure to the Dennison Building in the 60s, though, the building was underutilized, up until this year. In 2022, the Observatory is slated for a grand reopening, and with it has come a renewed desire to learn more about such an iconic piece of U of M history. There’s lots to discuss, with its impact on American astronomy that can’t be understated to the countless figures in the astronomical world that made a name for themselves here. However, this project aims instead to focus on the Observatory’s more recent history, exploring topics such as the newly added renovations, why the Observatory was abandoned by the astronomy department, why the university nearly razed it, and much more. Preliminary research has already been conducted on the windows along the south wall of the university’s new wing built on during renovations. This research aimed to see whether the windows on this wall matched up to the spectral lines of any elements on the periodic table, as they shared some similarities in structure and were reportedly built with this in mind. However, further investigation revealed no link beyond a passing resemblance, so this project has pivoted to a more general study of the observatory’s history, from approximately 1950 to the present day. This research is part of a larger study on the Detroit Observatory as a whole, with this project being just one piece of the observatory’s rich history, and the end goal being for this to help contribute to the eventual historical exhibit planned to go on display within the observatory upon reopening.
Arts and Humanities
