In Search of New Role for Yerkes Observatory: Is It In Danger?

From the July 5, 2018, Chicago Tribune "In search of new role for astronomy icon" by Ted Gregory.

Yerkes Observatory is located in Williams Bay, Wisconsin (near the Illinois state line), and on beautiful Geneva Lake.  A move is now on to save the world-renowned observatory as the University of Chicago plans to close it.  Back in 2006, it was almost sold to a resort developer.

The 121-year-old observatory and around 77 acres surrounding it are in danger.

Sadly, the observatory is no longer considered to be cutting edge as a research center.

The Yerkes grounds were designed by legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead and includes some highly desirable lakefront footage.  Distinctive and ornate, the building's main feature is what is touted as the world's largest refractor telescope with a 40-inch lens, 63-foot tube and total weight of 20 tons.

Carl Sagan and Edwin Hubble studied here, as did Nobel laureates Gerhard Herzberg and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.  Albert Einstein visited it as well.

Here's Hoping They Find A Use.   --CootSee