The National Historic Landmark will open its doors to the UC community for five courses this winter.
Written by Cassie Lipp
Communiversity instructor and freelance writer
Since the oldest public telescope in the U.S. was placed on Cincinnati’s Mount Lookout hill in 1873, the Cincinnati Observatory has inspired generations to look at the stars and take an interest in the universe around them. Aside from the antiquity of the site, the Observatory’s partnership with UC also dates back generations.
The university and observatory have partnered to offer for-credit courses since 1933. The Observatory was even under the control of the Physics Department until 1999, when the site was taken over by the nonprofit Cincinnati Observatory Center (COC) and opened to the public a year later.
Before the Observatory was open to the public, it was open for noncredit, Communiversity astronomy courses. This was the first time Communiversity courses were located off university campus. “By offering the courses at the Observatory, Communiversity students had the privilege of using the oldest, continuously used professional telescope in the world, and in a National Historic Landmark building,” said John Ventre, a historian for the COC.
Ventre teaches Behind the Scenes at the Observatory, in which students can investigate how 19th-century astronomers determined time for the city of Cincinnati; discover why the observatory was designated a National Historic Landmark; and find out what is in store for the future. If weather permits, the moon will be viewed through the oldest continuously used telescope following the program. Behind the Scenes at the Observatory takes place on March 4 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Also, being offered at the Observatory this winter is Longitude: John Harrison and His Clocks. Students can find out what makes a clock tick, literally, as they explore the advances Harrison made in clock making during the 18th century. The course is taught by Dave Bosse, an instructor of Astronomy at the University of Cincinnati who has been teaching at UC for over 35 years. The class takes place on Feb. 27 from 7 to 9 p.m.
The Outreach Scientist of the Cincinnati Observatory, Aaron Eiben, shares his passion for the Cosmos with everyone he meets. Eiben will teach Tour of the Universe, in which students can fly past the moon, planets, stars, and galaxies to the edge of what is known. Eiben will answer as many students’ questions about the Cosmos as he can. The course also includes a gaze through the telescope, weather permitting. Tour of the Universe takes place on March 13 from 7 to 9 p.m.
In Optics: Through the Telescope, instructor Dave Bosse will answer many questions about how telescopes work as the course explores the makings of the “magic tube.” Fun, visually dramatic experiments will make the mysteries of lenses and mirrors crystal clear. Students will also peek inside a variety of working telescopes, including the COC’s famous telescope if weather permits. Optics: Through the Telescope takes place on March 21 from 7 to 9 p.m.
The final course offered at the COC this winter is a new course Spaceballs, which answers questions such as what a home run would look like on Mars, and if you could hit a baseball off the moon. Answering these questions requires knowledge of physics, mathematics, and planetary science, but it’s not as hard as one might think. Eiben guides students in figuring it out, and students will also get to gaze through the telescope if the sky is clear. Spaceballs takes place on March 25 from 1 to 3 p.m.
The course fee for each class is $35.
“The Observatory serviced over 31,000 visitors in 2017, and almost half of these were adults,” Ventre said. “Consequently, our mission and vision dovetails very well with the mission and vision of the UC Communiversity and their adult students.”
The Cincinnati Observatory is a fully functioning, 19th-century observatory used daily by the public, amateur astronomers, civic organizations, students, teachers, and history buffs. The COC is dedicated to maintaining the integrity and heritage of the historic observatory while promoting the study and practice of 21-century astronomy and science. “Our vision is to be a primary resource in furthering astronomy and science education through educational programming,” Ventre said.
Communiversity offers fun and innovative continuing education courses to enrich the lives of those around Cincinnati and beyond. With locations both on UC Victory Parkway Campus and around Cincinnati, Communiversity makes it easy for working professionals, retirees, and other lifelong learners to develop new skills and hobbies.
To register for our astronomy or any other Communiversity class, please visit our website or call (513) 556-6932 and press 2.
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