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OVERVIEW
It begun in the early 20th century because scientists wanted to learn about binary stars
It was dedicated on May 15, 1901.
It was named after Daniel Kirkwood.
Today, it is used more for training students than conducting research.
HISTORY
The Kirkwood Observatory began in the early 20th century, when IU astronomers such as John A. Miller wanted to learn about binary stars, two stars that orbit each other in the same star system. However, this process required pinpoint observations, calculations, and timing. So on May 15, 1901, the Kirkwood Observatory was built and dedicated for this purpose. It was named in honor of Daniel Kirkwood, who was at IU and discovered the divisions in the asteroid belt. After World War Two, many asteroids in the asteroid belt were lost due to a worldwide interruption in astronomy. So in 1949 through 1966, Professor Frank K. Edmondson, along with the Cincinnati Observatory, helped rediscover these lost asteroids. However in modern times, there are advanced space telescopes used for studying stars like binary stars and other space objects. Today, the Kirkwood Observatory isn't used for much research, but instead is used more for training IU students and for people to use it.
ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY
The Kirkwood Observatory wants to give people a chance to view the night sky. For example, they allow people to observe the stars from their 12” refracting telescope. To add to that, they can have group tours and even online group tours for those who cannot go. They also have students train with the observatory. Additionally, during the Solar eclipse of 2024, they held many events for the community. The Kirkwood Observatory will also collaborate with schools who want to learn about the cosmos. There is even a solar telescope at the Kirkwood Observatory. Furthermore, there is something there that is called Star Trak, which lists celestial events that happen throughout time. Although today it is not used for much research, it is still an important part of Bloomington.
We would like to give special thanks to Paige Koehler for kindly responding to our email and providing important information for our writing!
WORKS CITED
"History." Department of Astronomy, Indiana University Bloomington, astro.indiana.edu/about/history/index.html. Accessed 17 May 2026.
"Kirkwood Observatory." Department of Astronomy, Indiana University Bloomington, astro.indiana.edu/about/history/kirkwood-observatory.html. Accessed 17 May 2026.
"Outreach + Education." Department of Astronomy, Indiana University Bloomington, astro.indiana.edu/outreach/index.html. Accessed 17 May 2026.
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