Planetary Photography

Abstract

THE Lowell Observatory was founded in 1894, by the late Percival Lowell, who maintained and directed it during his lifetime and endowed it by his will, that it might permanently continue astronomical research and in particular that of the planets. For nearly four decades now, it has been occupied with planetary investigations. It is situated at Flagstaff, Arizona, because, of the numerous places he had tested, it was here that Lowell found the conditions best for planetary studies. The major instruments of the Observatory are: (1) 24-inch aperture Clark refractor of 32 feet focus, (2) 42-inch Clark reflecting telescope, (3) a new 13-inch photographic telescope, (4) 15-inch Petit-didier reflector, and in addition several smaller instruments, together with a number of spectro-graphs, special cameras for photographing the planets, radiometric apparatus for use with the 42-inch reflector, for measuring the heat of the planets, and such laboratory equipment as is needed in the work carried on.