Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
| Dominion Astrophysical Observatory | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory area | |
| Alternative names | Observatoire fédéral d'astrophysique |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 48°31′11″N 123°25′06″W / 48.51980°N 123.41833°W |
| Current tenants | National Research Council |
| Opened | 1918 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Edgar Lewis Horwood |
| Architecture firm | Dominion Architect of Canada |
| Website | |
| NRC-DAO Website | |
| Official name | Dominion Astrophysical Observatory National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 2008 |
The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, located on Observatory Hill, in Saanich, British Columbia, was completed in 1918 by the Canadian government. The Dominion architect responsible for the building was Edgar Lewis Horwood. The main instrument is the 72-inch-aperture (1.83 m) Plaskett telescope, proposed and designed by John S. Plaskett in 1910 with the support of the International Union for Cooperation in Solar Research. Following completion, Plaskett remained the head of the observatory until 1935.
The observatory has been designated a national historic site of Canada, as it is a world-renowned facility where many discoveries about the nature of the Milky Way were made, and it was one of the world's main astrophysical research centres until the 1960s.