Atop a mesa one mile west of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, sits Lowell Observatory, an astronomical research facility steeped in tradition. Percival Lowell, scion of a Boston Brahmin family, initially established his observatory in 1894 to study the possibility of intelligent life on Mars. Lowell widely popularized his controversial theories, sparking debate among both the scientific community and lay public. In the following years, the observatory's astronomers made several discoveries that dramatically altered our understanding of space, including Clyde Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto in 1930 and V.M. Slipher's detection of the expanding nature of the universe in 1912. Decades later, Apollo astronauts visited as part of their training to fly to the moon. These stories and others offer a glimpse of the scientific discovery, community pride, and personal triumph that define Lowell Observatory.

About The Author:
Kevin Schindler is a historian in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he has worked at Lowell Observatory for more than two decades. He is an active member of the Flagstaff history and science communities, having served as Sheriff of the Flagstaff Corral of Westerners International for 13 years and on the board of the Flagstaff Festival of Science for a similar length of time. He writes articles for a variety of publications and contributes a bi-weekly astronomy column, “View from Mars Hill”, for the Arizona Daily Sun newspaper.

Product Details:
ISBN-13: 9781467134170
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date: 02/01/2016
Series: Images of America Series
Pages: 128
Product dimensions: 6.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)