Janna Levin Instagram – In nineteenth-century America, astronomical observatories had become something of a craze and, despite an intriguing history of bold attempts to manifest a grand observatory in the bustling metropolis around Brooklyn and Manhattan, none succeeded. The rise and fall of the three largest never-built public New York metropolitan area observatories proposed between 1847 and the first world war—the Brooklyn Observatory, the New York Astronomical Observatory in Central Park, and the observatory of the Brooklyn Institute (now the Brooklyn Museum)—is a tale of great passion and mislaid dreams.
In an inspired, Fitzcarraldian ambition, Pioneer Works plans to hoist a stunning observatory atop the former factory originally named Pioneer Iron Works. The Pioneer Works Observatory—a public observatory the likes of which New York City has never seen—will offer a magical experience, free and available to all. To honor the city’s history of false starts, the Broadcast team commissioned science writer, historian, and antique telescope enthusiast, Trudy Bell, to reflect upon New York City’s observatories that might have been. Read the full piece at the link in bio🔗🌃🔭🌠 | Posted on 21/Feb/2024 22:46:14
