Cool Cosmic Places

Some of the better places on Earth to view the splendors of the night sky are from observatories.  But not all observatories are the same.  And there's good reason for that.  Many come in various shapes and sizes to house that very telescope or instrument best suited to explore the cosmos. 

Some observatories are large, many are small; some are domed wonders, others are open to the sky.  But every observatory does offer its observers the chance to stretch one's gaze across the heavens and through time, to view the night sky in detail, and to explore for onself the mysteries of the universe. 

From time to time, some of the coolest places on the planet will be featured on this page.  You'll want to return again and again.  Take a look at one such place right now.

This month's feature:  

Elgin Watch Company Observatory

To maintain its long, distinguished position as a premier manufacturer of accurate timepieces, the Elgin Watch Company in Elgin, Illinois, built its own observatory early last century for its own accurate timekeeping.  By the middle of the last century, the Observatory closed, but the domed building was converted to a school planetarium.  Read about its legacy here and here.

Hey, look here!

Technology marches forward, and technical upgrades to exisiting planetariums aren't uncommon, as schools and museums seek to attract the visiting public to both an informative and entertaining venue that features the night sky, ongoing space-age discoveries, and fanciful adventures into deep space. 

In east-central Illinois, the William M. Staerkel Planetarium is refurbishing its own space place with new digital projection technology.  Look for its re-opening soon!