McKim Observatory: A Putnam County treasure

The Clark Refracting Telescope is the primary attraction of the McKim Observatory. It was built in 1885 and can be used to view many different planets including Jupiter and Saturn. 

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Hidden amongst some of the tall trees on Highridge Avenue in Greencastle is a place that is home to a near one-of-a-kind attraction.

The McKim Observatory is owned and operated by DePauw University and it features three distinct features that not many observatories can offer. It actually has the very special title of being the first observatory in Indiana, as it was built in 1884 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The observatory is run by the department of Physics and Astronomy on DePauw’s campus and has three caretakers in Howard Brooks, Alex Komives and Mary Kertzman.

The main attraction of the observatory sits on the second floor in the Equatorial Room. A Clark Refracting Telescope with a 9.53-inch objective lens that was built in 1884. The Clark Telescope can provide exceptional views of planets and nebulae.

“A really cool feature of this telescope, along with its capabilities, is that the inside mechanism can be seen from a glass door,” Kertzman said. “Everything in this room is pretty much original except for a few things like some counterweights.”

The second feature that the observatory provides is a large 16-inch brass meridian transit telescope. The primary feature for this telescope is to make extremely precise measurements of star positions that were also used at one point to determine the time of day.

“Something cool that our astronomy kids have used this for is to measure the diameter of the sun,” Kertzman said. “We projected the sun on a poster board against the wall and then used their cell phones to video the transit. To me it was a very cool combination of 1884 technology and modern-day technology. These kinds of telescopes are very rare, especially ones that are still in use.”

A chronograph is the last piece of the trio of instruments that the observatory has to offer. The chronograph was used to record times of astronomical observations. A piece of paper is wrapped around a cylindrical drum while a recording pen moves horizontally. The pen was electrically connected to a clock which was designed to interrupt the electric circuit at precise intervals and thus producing a mark on the paper.

Mary Kertzman and Alex Komives are two of three caretakers of McKim Observatory along with Howard Brooks. Both are shown with the Clark Telescope on the second floor. 

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Overall Kertzman noted that there are less than two dozen Clark Telescopes in use. DePauw astronomy students get to frequently come to the observatory and get to have a hands-on approach with some stellar equipment. That’s not the case with most as Komives notes how lucky the community is to have a place like McKim.

“The fact that everything here is operational and for the most part still like it was back in the late 1800s is very unique,” he said. “We always invite the public to come out and see what we have to offer because there’s not many places that can say they have this type of observatory. I have been to museums in Italy, England and France and this is on par with what I have seen over there.  This is just an amazing facility all-around.”

Brooks is the longest tenured-caretaker as he’s been maintaining McKim since 1981. He and a group of students did extensive cleaning and repair work to the observatory. Brooks also spoke on how special of a place McKim is and how it’s able to show its visitors some amazing things.

Observatory goers can view the inner workings of the Clark Refracting Telescope as they're visible from the glass casing. 

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“We can provide visitors with a step back into time and learn some of the history of the building and astronomy education at DePauw,” Brooks said. “Visitors can see excellent views of the Moon, the planets, and deep space objects through the historic Clark telescope.  It is a unique place where we are a living testimony to the craftsmanship of machinists of the nineteenth century.”

McKim is currently having open houses for the community to come and observe what it has to offer along with getting the chance to see some great astrological feats. The next open house is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11 from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.

“These next couple of open houses that we’re having, people will get to see a very good phase of the moon,” Kertzman said. “Visitors will be able to use the Clark and some other telescopes we have set up to view that. The other highlight that we’re going to have this fall is that Saturn is going to be low enough in the eastern sky to where it will be visible. It’s currently going through what is called a ring plane crossing. People will see a straight line, but those will be Saturn’s rings so it’s a pretty cool thing that we’re looking forward to.”

The Meridian Circle Transit Telescope was made by the Fauth and Company of Washington, D.C., and works with McKim's chronograph to make precise measurements of star positions. 

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Along with the open houses, McKim is open to group tours. To arrange a visit call the Department of Physics and Astronomy (765-658-4654), Kertzman (765-658-4647) or Brooks (765-658-4653).

To learn more about McKim and all that it has to offer you can visit their page on DePauw’s website www.depauw.edu/academics/departments-programs/physics-astronomy/mckim-observator...

McKim Observatory is a true wonder here in Putnam County with easy access for anyone who wants to look up into the stars. Not many communities can say they have state-of-the-art observatory in their back yard.

McKim has plenty of detailed history of the building dating back to when it was first built as shown by these pictures in the clock room. The observatory has some renovations over the years which the pictures also detail. 

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