UW-Madison’s 135-year-old Washburn Observatory will reopen for free public viewings Wednesday night after being closed for nearly two years due to repairs.
The observatory closed in April 2014 due to an unexpected malfunction in the sliding door on the dome of the observatory, according to a university release.
Director of UW Space Place Jim Lattis said the Washburn Observatory will be open from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. every Wednesday to offer extra viewing sessions in an attempt to catch up on the public demand.
He said after the repairs—which might have been the longest the observatory has ever been closed from public viewing—the telescope in the observatory is in terrific condition.
“It’s probably working better now than it did in the 19th century,” Lattis said in the release. “It’s a beautiful instrument in many different ways.”
Lattis said the reopening of the observatory is important for the UW-Madison community.
“It is such a big part of our tradition and, of course, our outreach and educational programs. It is also good for our students,” Lattis said in the release. “They take the responsibility quite seriously and they learn a lot.”
