Upon a green Foss Hill in Middletown, Connecticut stands a peculiar building with brown brick walls and a curiously white dome. Welcome to the Van Vleck Observatory of Wesleyan University! Founded over one hundred years ago, the VVO (as its scientist inhabitants know it) continues to serve its original purpose of pairing scientific education with meaningful research. From its dedication on June 16, 1916 to June 18, 1942, the keepers of the observatory also kept a guestbook log of its visitors. The signatories range from innovative leaders in astronomy to innovative leaders in the field of higher education with several local residents and their families sprinkled in the mix. Use this online exhibit to explore them all!
The history of science isn’t simply a chronology of “eureka moments”. Instead, it is a history full of rich stories of collaboration, ingenuous creativity, and the struggle to find funding, clear observing conditions, and people who will dare to believe in new paradigms. This online exhibit just scratches the surface of the network of the Van Vleck guestbook signatories and the inventive work they carried out.
Explore the Guestbook
Explore the guestbook yourself and imagine stories that brought visitors from across the country and world to the Van Vleck Observatory.
Meet the Signatories
The Van Vleck Observatory guestbook serves as a record of a network of astronomers who were working to expand our knowledge of the cosmos. Meet the astronomers who shaped the course of science over the last century.
Stories of Discovery
Over the past century, we have gained a significantly different understanding of planets, stars, galaxies, and the origin of the Universe. The astronomers who visited the Van Vleck Observatory and signed their names in the guestbook all had roles in this work.