Yerkes, << YUR keez, >> Observatory was an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. It housed five telescopes. Three were reflecting telescopes. The fourth was a refracting telescope. The refracting telescope, the largest of its kind in the world, was 63 feet (19 meters) long. The fifth telescope was a Schmidt camera, a device made with both a lens and a mirror.
Yerkes Observatory was famous for its accurate measurements of the distances of stars. The American astronomer Frank Schlesinger developed key techniques for such studies at Yerkes. The observatory’s first director, George E. Hale, made advances in solar physics. The observatory is also noted for research on interstellar matter, stellar spectra, and theoretical astrophysics. Hale founded the observatory in 1895 with a large donation from Chicago businessman Charles T. Yerkes.
In 2006, the university announced plans to sell the observatory site to a private land developer. Opposition from the community of Williams Bay prompted the university to reconsider its plan and observations continued at Yerkes. The observatory also provided public tours, workshops for educators, and opportunities for the public to observe through a telescope. However, the university officially closed the observatory in October 2018.
