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Mount Kobau National Observatory

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The Mount Kobau National Observatory was cancelled on August 29, 1968. The unfinished 150-inch mirror for the Queen Elizabeth II Telescope was stored until sold in 1986. It is believed that the mirror blank was melted down and recycled. The 16-inch telescope remained on the site until 1981, when it
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The criteria for the selection of an observatory site were several. The site had to have an elevation of at least 4,000 feet (1,200 m) (in order to keep atmospheric turbulence to a minimum), not be subject to rapid changes in weather or extreme temperature, and be distant from industrial and
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Construction began the following summer, with the mountain top being levelled and a road carved up the mountain. As work progressed, opposition within the Canadian astronomical community grew, as it was felt by some that a site of much higher quality could be obtained outside of Canada.
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proposed the construction of a national observatory, with a 3.81 m (150 inch) telescope as the primary instrument. Upon completion, this would have been the second largest telescope in the world, the only larger telescope being the 5.08 m (200 inch)
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to commemorate her visit to Canada in the fall of 1964. It was later decided to name the observatory after the site selected, and instead name the telescope after Queen Elizabeth II.
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was the home of the second and third largest astronomical telescopes in the world: the 1.88 m (74 inch) reflector at the
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officially announced the observatory location on October 28, 1964. The observatory was originally named in honour of
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was dismantled. Today Mount Kobau is used by amateur astronomers, and is the site of the Mount Kobau Star Party.
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The Heavens Above and the Earth Beneath-A History of the Dominion Observatories Part 2: 1946-1970
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Origin of the Mt. Kobau Star Party: The Rise and Fall of the Mt. Kobau Observatory Project
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In order to regain prominence in the field of astronomy, in 1963 the Director of the DAO
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Mount Kobau National Observatory Report on Preliminary Studies: Optical Shop
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population centres. These conditions restricted the observatory to southern
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Proposed astronomical observatory in British Columbia, since canceled
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Links to information on the Queen Elizabeth II Observatory
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List of the largest optical telescopes in North America
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Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
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Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
195:and the 1.82 m (72 inch) Plaskett telescope at the 535: 399:E. Brosterhus, E. Pfannenschmidt, F. Younger. " 383:Queen's printer and Controller of Stationery 544:Science and technology in British Columbia 36: 396:, Victoria, British Columbia, March 1966 183:In the early part of the 20th century, 49:Ministry of Mines and Technical Surveys 536: 292:"A Large Optical Telescope for Canada" 289: 549:Astronomical observatories in Canada 407:Vol. 66, No. 1, February 1972, pg 1. 401:Observing Conditions on Mount Kobau 13: 197:Dominion Astrophysical Observatory 14: 560: 411: 521: 509: 497: 485: 473: 461: 449: 437: 154:Mount Kobau National Observatory 23:Mount Kobau National Observatory 360: 256: 379:Queen Elizabeth II Observatory 332: 322:Queen Elizabeth II Observatory 314: 283: 158:Queen Elizabeth II Observatory 1: 394:A. B. Sanderson & Company 290:Petrie, R. M. (August 1963). 277: 247: 178: 128:Queen Elizabeth II Telescope 7: 372:Geological Survey of Canada 265: 222: 10: 565: 201:Saanich, British Columbia 139: 127: 123: 118: 110: 71: 53: 45: 27: 189:David Dunlap Observatory 344:Mount Kobau Star Party 193:Richmond Hill, Ontario 95:49.11500°N 119.67556°W 100:49.11500; -119.67556 308:1963JRASC..57..145P 217:Palomar Observatory 91: /  24: 366:Hodgson, John H. " 242:Queen Elizabeth II 160:) was a proposed 114:1,873 m (6,148 ft) 22: 150: 149: 135: 134: 131:3.81 m Cassegrain 556: 526: 525: 514: 513: 502: 501: 500: 490: 489: 488: 478: 477: 476: 466: 465: 454: 453: 452: 442: 441: 440: 433: 355: 354: 352: 350: 336: 330: 329: 318: 312: 311: 287: 230:British Columbia 208:Dr. R. M. Petrie 169:British Columbia 156:(originally the 143:edit on Wikidata 125: 124: 106: 105: 103: 102: 101: 96: 92: 89: 88: 87: 84: 62:British Columbia 41: 40: 25: 21: 564: 563: 559: 558: 557: 555: 554: 553: 534: 533: 532: 520: 508: 498: 496: 486: 484: 474: 472: 460: 450: 448: 438: 436: 428: 414: 363: 358: 348: 346: 338: 337: 333: 320: 319: 315: 288: 284: 280: 268: 259: 250: 225: 219:in California. 181: 146: 99: 97: 93: 90: 85: 82: 80: 78: 77: 35: 20: 17: 12: 11: 5: 562: 552: 551: 546: 531: 530: 518: 506: 494: 482: 470: 458: 446: 426: 425: 420: 413: 412:External links 410: 409: 408: 397: 386: 385:, Ottawa, 1964 375: 362: 359: 357: 356: 331: 313: 302:(4): 145–152. 281: 279: 276: 275: 274: 267: 264: 258: 255: 249: 246: 238:Lester Pearson 224: 221: 213:Hale Telescope 180: 177: 148: 147: 140: 137: 136: 133: 132: 129: 121: 120: 116: 115: 112: 108: 107: 75: 69: 68: 55: 51: 50: 47: 43: 42: 29: 18: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 561: 550: 547: 545: 542: 541: 539: 529: 524: 519: 517: 512: 507: 505: 495: 493: 483: 481: 471: 469: 464: 459: 457: 447: 445: 435: 434: 431: 424: 421: 419: 416: 415: 406: 402: 398: 395: 391: 387: 384: 380: 376: 373: 369: 365: 364: 345: 341: 335: 327: 323: 317: 309: 305: 301: 297: 293: 286: 282: 273: 270: 269: 263: 254: 245: 243: 239: 235: 231: 220: 218: 214: 209: 204: 202: 198: 194: 190: 186: 176: 174: 170: 166: 163: 159: 155: 144: 138: 130: 126: 122: 117: 113: 109: 104: 76: 74: 70: 67: 63: 59: 56: 52: 48: 44: 39: 33: 30: 26: 504:Solar System 404: 393: 382: 371: 361:Bibliography 349:30 September 347:. Retrieved 343: 334: 321: 316: 299: 295: 285: 260: 257:Cancellation 251: 226: 205: 182: 167:in southern 162:astronomical 157: 153: 151: 46:Organization 32:Elizabeth II 492:Outer space 480:Spaceflight 165:observatory 98: / 86:119°40′32″W 73:Coordinates 58:Mount Kobau 28:Named after 19:Observatory 538:Categories 278:References 248:Opposition 179:Background 119:Telescopes 83:49°06′54″N 516:Education 456:Astronomy 266:See also 223:Location 111:Altitude 54:Location 528:Science 430:Portals 304:Bibcode 234:Alberta 444:Canada 374:, 1994 326:Ottawa 185:Canada 173:Canada 66:Canada 34:  468:Stars 141:[ 351:2014 152:The 403:", 392:", 381:", 232:or 215:at 199:in 191:in 540:: 370:" 342:. 324:. 300:57 298:. 294:. 175:. 171:, 64:, 60:, 432:: 388:" 377:" 353:. 310:. 306:: 145:]

Index

Elizabeth II
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Mount Kobau
British Columbia
Canada
Coordinates
49°06′54″N 119°40′32″W / 49.11500°N 119.67556°W / 49.11500; -119.67556
edit on Wikidata
astronomical
observatory
British Columbia
Canada
Canada
David Dunlap Observatory
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
Saanich, British Columbia
Dr. R. M. Petrie
Hale Telescope
Palomar Observatory
British Columbia
Alberta
Lester Pearson
Queen Elizabeth II
List of the largest optical telescopes in North America
"A Large Optical Telescope for Canada"
Bibcode
1963JRASC..57..145P
Ottawa
"Origin of the Mt. Kobau Star Party: The Rise and Fall of the Mt. Kobau Observatory Project"

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