Lee Observatory

Lee Observatory

File:Leeobservatory.jpg
Organization	American University of Beirut
Location	Beirut, Lebanon
Coordinates	33°54′1.96″N 35°28′47.29″E
Altitude	38 m (125 ft)
Website	[1]
Telescopes
telescope 12 inch refractor telescope 3-inch transit helioscope Spectro-helioscope Detector Cosmic Ray Detector

The Lee Observatory is an astronomical observatory on the campus of the American University of Beirut in Beirut, Lebanon. Opened in 1873, it is the first and the oldest observatory of the Middle East in modern times.

Nowadays the observatory has only an academic role.

History

The Lee Observatory opened in 1873, with Doctor Cornelius Van Dyck as its pioneer. The observatory was named in reference to Henry Lee, a wealthy British merchant from Manchester, who had made a significant donation to help finance its construction. The observatory had twin roles of sky gazing and serving as a meteorological station for the middle east. Several directors and assistants managed the Observatory, including Van Dyck, who pursued astronomy as a hobby and had bought most of the equipment himself, and Professors Mansour Jurdak and Owen Gingerich, who organised the "Open Nights Observatory" events and made contributions to the observatory library.

External links

• AUB's detailed history of the Lee Observatory
• A virtual view of the Lee Observatory
• Saad Sami HADDAD alumni article on the Lee Observatory