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The observatory is full of amazing photos of the years of its discoveries. Tours are given and talks are given in normal times. SO very well done and not boring!
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Date of experience: October 2020
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My wife and I visited late last October as part of an Arizona vacation. As an amateur astronomer, this is one place I just had to visit. Lowell Observatory is most famous for the "discoveries" of Percival Lowell (canals on Mars that do not exist) and for Clyde Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto. While it has a rich history, Lowell is also still a functioning astronomical observatory. However, most or all professional work takes place 40 miles away using the 4.3-meter Lowell Discovery Telescope, a facility that is not open to the public. Arriving at about 10:00am, we spent nearly the entire rest of the day at Lowell. We took a guided tour, listened to several of the talks and explored the grounds on our own. We left to get dinner in town and returned to attend the evening session of talks and observing. No extra entry fee was required. The observing consisted of a peek through the famous 24-inch Clark refractor (of M15, a globular cluster in Pegasus) and more views through a variety of telescopes at the Giovale Open Observing Deck, which had just opened up a few weeks prior to our visit. The Observing Deck is essentially a large concrete pad for telescopes but the unique thing about it is that when the pad is not in use, a large building slides over it on railway tracks to cover all of the telescopes and protect them from the elements. We arrived from dinner too late to witness the building move but you can watch it on YouTube. If you are an amateur astronomer or merely interested in astronomy, in my opinion Lowell Observatory is definitely worth a visit, assuming it becomes possible and practical post COVID.…
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Date of experience: October 2019
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Took the short tour to the telescope that was next to Percival Lowell's mausoleum. In another building which served as a library, I saw a tire from a space shuttle and an autograph of Neil Armstrong before he knew he was going to the moon. I did go back for a night program about Mars and got to look through a telescope outside at the moon.…
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Date of experience: November 2019
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Review of: Lowell Observatory - General Admission
This was high on my list of attractions for our trip to Flagstaff. We went in March and the weather certainly dictated our plans. We were able to find a mostly clear night. There are discounts for students, military, and children that can help with the admission costs. The astronomers/staff hinted that the full moon kind of "boned" the options for star-gazing. While true, the images of the fully lit disc of the moon was something I'll never forget. To see the full disc, all of the craters, lit up so bright...it was honestly moving. I would highly recommend finding a clear night, preferably little moonlight and checking this out. The staff is super helpful and you can tell how much they love astronomy.…
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Date of experience: March 2020
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WOW. Drive up to this great observatory. Come at night and take part in various classes and viewing. Cloudy night, but we all were still able to see Venus. Wish we could of experienced the Dark Skies as Flagstaff is a great place to see stars.
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Date of experience: March 2020
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Response from Heather C, Marketing Specialist at Lowell Observatory
Responded Mar 24, 2020
Thanks for your review! It's great to hear that you enjoyed your visit to the observatory, even with the weather getting in the way. We hope you come back to visit us on a beautiful, clear night!
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