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On Its 175th Anniversary, A History Of The Cincinnati Observatory

The Cincinnati Observatory.
Keith Allen
The Cincinnati Observatory.

The Cincinnati Observatory is known as the "Birthplace of American Astronomy." The nation's oldest public observatory is celebrating its 175th anniversary this month. On November 9, 1843, on four acres of land on what was then known as Mt. Ida, former president John Quincy Adams presided over the dedication of the observatory and the laying of the cornerstone. Following the event, Mt. Ida was renamed Mt. Adams.

In 1873, to escape the pollution of downtown, the Observatory moved east to its current location on another Cincinnati hill, which was later named Mt. Lookout.

Joining Cincinnati Edition to discuss the history and importance of the Cincinnati Observatory are Observatory Executive Director Craig Niemi and Assistant Director Dean Regas.

Dean Regas is also an astronomy book author, co-host of the PBS series Star Gazers and co-host of the Cincinnati Public Radio podcast, Looking Up.

Tune in to Cincinnati Edition Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. to hear this segment.