Yerkes Observatory: Restoring the World’s Largest Refracting Telescope

Named for the great Chicago business scumbag, Charles Yerkes. Got out of prison in Pennsylvania and hobbled together Chicago's L train. The side of the street that he claimed the elevated railway was on would change building by building, based on which neighbors would or would not grant an easement. The folklore is this complicated zoning in the loop until Daley the Younger's mayoral tenure - in the 1980's

These old buildings always bring a smile to my face. Something about the style goes beyond the mundane and makes me want to think and do great things.

Strange that the list of Yerkes greats omitted S. Chandrasekhar. He was at Yerkes for over twenty years before moving to the main University of Chicago campus.

Is it, in fact, larger than Lick Observatory's? I looked through that in 2003 or so.

> To her surprise, the telescope and its 60-foot-long metal tube were still balanced enough that they could be moved with just her hands. However, while the telescope was operational, it was difficult and stiff to move. Over the first month, Dr. Bauer had to determine whether the stiffness was due to a ground-down gear and figure out all the places the telescope needed to be greased and oiled.

I know Lick's can be moved by one person, by hand.

Interesting to see this show up on HN. My daughter and son-in-law live within walking distance; my son-in-law's father used to work there.

A Wired gallery from 2010: https://www.wired.com/2010/10/yerkes-gallery/

I've been fortunate to look through an eyepiece at Lick, it is pretty amazing to look at Jupiter (+ moons) and parts of the moon up close through such an instrument.

I wish the floor had still worked though.