Lowell Observatory Postcards

NASA's Pluto
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft captured this high-resolution enhanced color view of Pluto on July 14, 2015. The image combines blue, red and infrared images taken by the Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera.
Photo: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

Pluto Dome Milky Way
The Pluto Discovery Dome is shown beneath the Milky Way in this nighttime image captured at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. This building houses the 13-inch astrograph that Clyde Tombaugh used to discover Pluto on February 18, 1930.
Photo: Dylan Short

Clark Telescope
This striking black-and-white photograph captures the 24-inch Alvan Clark refractor telescope inside its wooden dome on Mars Hill at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Built in 1896, it is the oldest telescope on campus and one of the most historically significant in American astronomy — used by founder Percival Lowell for his observations of Mars, and later by Vesto M. Slipher to measure the redshifts of galaxies, helping lay the foundation for the discovery of the expanding universe.
Photo: Date and Credit Unknown

Clark Telescope Blueprint
This original engineering drawing by Alvan Clark & Sons depicts the general arrangement of the 24-inch "Lowell" Equatorial telescope, dated April 1894. The detailed technical blueprint shows the telescope's equatorial mount in side elevation, including the long refractor tube, mounting pier, and mechanical drive components, offering a fascinating glimpse into the precision craftsmanship behind one of Lowell Observatory's most storied instruments.
Photo Credit: Massey/Neugent/Lowell Observatory/NSF

Horsehead Nebula
This image captured from Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona showcases the iconic Horsehead Nebula, a small dark nebula located about 1,375 lightyears from Earth in the constellation Orion. This iconic nebula's familiar shape makes it a popular winter observing target at Lowell's Giovale Open Deck Observatory.
Photo: Dylan Short

M16
This image of M16, also known as the Pillars of Creation or the Eagle Nebula, was captured in stunning detail from Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. M16's haunting spires are a common viewing target at Lowell's Giovale Open Deck Observatory during the summer months, with peak visibility in June and July.
Photo: Dylan Short

Moon
This enhanced-color image of the Moon reveals a level of detail unseen by the naked eye. The blues and purples show titanium-rich basalt layers on the lunar surface, while the warmer browns and tans show older, mineral-rich highlands.
Photo: Dylan Short

Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula, a vast stellar nursery located about 1,350 light-years from Earth, is shown in this breathtaking image captured from Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Visible to the unaided eye as the middle “star” in Orion’s sword, the nebula is a favorite observing target at Lowell's Giovale Open Deck Observatory.
Photo: Dylan Short

Rosette Nebula
The Rosette Nebula, a massive cloud of gas and dust located about 5,000 light-years from Earth, is shown in this detailed image captured from Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. An active region of star formation, the nebula is a favorite winter observing target at Lowell's Giovale Open Deck Observatory.
Photo: Dylan Short

Pluto Dome Northern Lights
The Pluto Discovery Telescope dome at Lowell Observatory on Mars Hill in Flagstaff, Arizona, photographed against a rare display of the Northern Lights. The stone dome houses the 13-inch astrograph used by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh to discover Pluto on February 18, 1930. The aurora, an uncommon sight at this latitude, illuminates the night sky in vivid red and pink hues above the ponderosa pine forest that surrounds the observatory campus.
Photo: Ryan Mayberry

Wizard Nebula
This image captured from Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona features an emission nebula is known colloquially as the Wizard Nebula. The nebula surrounds NGC 7380, a young open cluster of stars located in the constellation Cepheus. This pair of objects is a common viewing target at Lowell's Giovale Open Deck Observatory during the summer and early fall months.
Photo: Dylan Short

Saturn
This detailed image of Saturn was captured from Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in our solar system after Jupiter. Saturn's iconic rings are visible through most telescopes, making it a popular viewing target at Lowell's Giovale Open Deck Observatory.
Photo: Dylan Short