Detroit Observatory Chronology: 1852-1855
1852-1855 | 1856-1873 | 1874-1894 | 1896-1916 | 1917-1960s | 1961-present
1852 |
|
| October | Henry P. Tappan visits Ann Arbor |
| December | Tappan inaugurated as first President of the University Henry Walker organizes a fundraising meeting at the Michigan Exchange in Detroit |
1853 |
|
| February | Tappan and Walker order the Fitz refracting
telescope in NYC Tappan travels to Europe by way of New York Tappan tours the observatories of Europe |
| July | Tappan meets Professor Encke and Dr. Franz Bruünnow |
| July 15th | Tappan orders a meridian circle telescope from
Pistor & Martins and a sidereal clock from M. Tiede Land is obtained for a site to build the Observatory, and for a road to the building; Samuel Pettibone surveys the site |
| August 5th | Ground is broken and construction begins |
| November | Tappan returns to Ann Arbor and orders two
collimating telescopes of Pistor & Martins for $375 Tappan offers director position to Prof. W.A. Norton of Yale College, and then to Dr. B.A. Gould of Boston, but they both decline. Position is then offered to Dr. Franz Brünnow, of Berlin, who accepts |
1854 |
|
| June | Brünnow's appointment as Director is
approved by the Regents Delivery of the refracting telescope is expected |
| July | Brünnow arrives in Ann Arbor Fitz refractor arrives but must be dismounted to make alterations Fitz 4-inch comet seeker obtained |
| September | Meridian circle telescope arrives in Ann
Arbor Sidereal clock (No. 125) by M. Tiede arrives Observatory completed |
1855 |
Observatory is enclosed by a new fence New road is constructed to the Observatory Well and drain are dug Brünnow published his Tables of Flora |
| April | Temporary refracting telescope mounted |
| June | Board of Regents tours the completed Observatory |
| August | Samuel P. Avery introduces Tappan to Cropsey |
| September | Jasper F. Cropsey visits Ann Arbor; paints the
Detroit Observatory and a campus landscape R. Leggett prepares engravings of the Cropsey paintings for use in 1855-56 Catalogue and on the University letterhead |
| November | Professor Frieze visits Brünnow's parents in Berlin |
| December | Replacement refractor arrives, but it is found
to be defective and is returned within a few months; new contract is
negotiated with Fitz for a completely new instrument |