History of Sherzer Observatory

Michigan State Normal School (EMU's original name) received a $600 gift, a 4-inch Alvan Clark refractor telescope, from the citizens of Ypsilanti in 1878. That year it was used by Prof. James C. Watson during an expedition to Wyoming to view a total solar eclipse and search for planet Vulcan.  The planet was a supposed inner world thought to be lost in the glare of the sun.  It was thought its existence might explain the discrepancies observered in the orbital motion of Mercury (Newton's Laws weren't the answer- it would later require Einstein to explain).

 

The Clark was then housed in the old Pierce Hall observatory until 1893 when a tornado destroyed the dome and flung the telescope some 25 feet across the roof. After repairs, 10 years would pass before the Clark found a temporary home under the roof-level dome of the new Natural Science Building, later named Sherzer Hall, which opened in 1903. It was modeled after German science buildings of the time, and contained state of the art equipment and lab stations.

 

 

In 1928, a 10-inch refractor was manufactured and installed in Sherzer by telescope maker John Mellish, who built numerous telescopes for observatories in the region - this would be one of his largest. He was reportedly the first human to see craters on Mars using the great 40-inch Yerkes refractor. The Mellish refractor would serve the campus for more than 60 years.

A Negus brass transit scope was also housed in an adjoining room complete with slits that opened parallel to the local astronomical meridian. The University Archives still has data produced by students using these instruments so long ago.

 

 

In the 1970's and 80's, members of the EMU student astronomy club made numerous updates and restorations to keep the aging observatory running. Unfortunately, everything but the Clark refractor (which was luckily on display in nearby Strong Hall) was lost in major fire in 1989.

 

 

The building was 50% destroyed, but a new observatory rose from the ashes. Built at the turn of the century for $221,000, Sherzer's reconstruction would end up costing more than $5 million. Wood, paper, and pencils were replaced by steel, concrete, and computers, yet the building retained much of its victorian charm..

The new Sherzer Observatory opened in September, 1991, and in January, 1997, work on the astronomy classroom/planetarium, 402 Sherzer, was completed. A secondary dome is operational as of summer 2008 with a Celestron Nexstar 8" SCT and imaging hardware that is controlled from a room beneath (402 Sherzer). Another SCT is semi-perminently mounted on the SW corner of the roofdeck. A variety of Dobsonian, SCT, and other instruments rounds out the current inventory of telescopes availble to students and staff.

 

 

A special "Planisphere" classroom is under construction in the new Mark Jefferson / Strong Hall Science Complex as of 2010. This will mark a major change and boost to the Astronomy program at the University.

 

 

The observatory continues to provide exciting views of the ever-changing face of our sun, stunning details of our moon, and pleasing sights of the planets, the stars, and more for our students and visitors from the region. We also celebrated 100 years of science instruction in Sherzer Hall in 2003!