Dudley Observatory

Here is a place mentioned in Dean Dudley's work that I knew very little about until I found it on the Web.

Dudley Observatory is in Albany, New York. It was built on a hill in North Albany, construction started in 1852, and completed in 1856, being dedicated in August of that year. It is named in honor of Senator Charles E. Dudley, whose wife Blandina Bleecker Dudley gave the largest contribution to its construction (the rest being from the citizens of Albany).

A controversy between the original trustees and Scientific Council led to the firing of the Council in 1858, and the Observatory did little until 1876 when Lewis Boss was hired. A second observatory was built on Lake Avenue in Albany, being dedicated in 1893, and this remained active till 1965. It was during this time that the observatory became world known, with two major reference works: the Preliminary General Catalog of 6788 Stars, in 1909, and General Catalog of 33,343 Stars, in 1937.

From 1956 to 1975 Dudley Observatory was renown in the study of micrometeorites, but in 1976 it became an education facility.

For a more comprehensive history of Dudley Observatory, visit its website at: