astronomy

Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center

Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center rather than just read about it. In short: Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center was an astronomical observatory used for teaching and research, located on the Evanston, Illinois campus of Northwestern University. The structure was built in 1966 and was demolished in 1995.

Key takeaways

Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center was an astronomical observatory used for teaching and research, located on the Evanston, Illinois campus of Northwestern University. The structure was built in 1966 and was demolished in 1995.

History

The Center was constructed in 1966 on the Lake Michigan shore in the northeast corner of the recently completed Northwestern University Lakefill and its twin domes and distinctive crisscrossed supporting braces instantly made it a campus landmark. That year, the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects designated the structure as outstanding in its class. The observatory building which housed the Center originally cost approximately one million dollars. It was funded by a gift from the estate of prominent Chicago businessman and sporting executive Benjamin F. Lindheimer along with a grant from the National Science Foundation. The telescopes were funded mainly by grants from the A. Montgomery Ward Foundation, the Hans D. Isenberg Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. The facility's domes contained two large telescopes manufactured by premium instrument maker Boller and Chivens. Beneath the smaller dome was a 16 in (410 mm) Cassegrain reflector, intended mainly for student use. Beneath the larger dome was a 40 in (1,000 mm) Cassegrain equipped with a rapid-scanning optical spectrometer, intended especially for astronomical research.

Demolition By the 1990s, the Center's usefulness had diminished, in part because of the poor "seeing" conditions of the Chicago area, where light pollution and atmospheric turbulence are persistent problems, and in part because of the need for expensive remediation of the structure due to the presence of asbestos insulation and lead-based paint. Accordingly, the University decided, despite expressions of public support for the well-known landmark, that the cost-effective course of action was to tear down the Center. The telescopes were donated to Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona and the demolition proceeded in mid-September, 1995. The explosive charges used for the first demolition attempt resulted in the whole structure remaining intact and simply listing to one side, still held firmly together by its network of external supporting braces. These charges were set based on incorrect information on the superstructure, which was composed of 8 and 10 in (200 and 250 mm) pipe thought to be 0.5 in (13 mm) thick but actually 1 in (25 mm) thick. Subsequently, the braces were cut away using large industrial cutting torches and attempts were made to pull it down with winches. Eventually multiple large cranes had to be brought in to assist by tearing it apart, piece-by-piece.

Current land use Today the site is green space adjoined by a parking lot.

See also Dearborn Observatory List of astronomical observatories

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center

In research: Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1966 establishments in Illinois, Astronomical observatories in Illinois, Defunct astronomical observatories, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center in simple terms?

Why does Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lindheimer Astrophysical Research Center.