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Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — A Time of Change and Expansion at Lowell Observatory

by Community Contributor • November 7, 2024 • Comments Off

Good afternoon,

It’s a time of exciting changes at Lowell Observatory.

(On Nov. 8), the leadership of this 130 year old institution will transfer from Executive Director Dr. Jeffrey Hall to Dr. Amanda Bosh, currently the observatory’s chief operating officer. The following weekend, Lowell will celebrate the grand opening of its $53 million Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center (ADC).

The ADC is the capstone of Hall’s remarkable career with Lowell. Originally joining the observatory as a post doctorate research fellow in 1992, he became Director of the facility in 2010. His first challenge was getting the funding to complete the Lowell Discovery Telescope. Construction of the premier 4-meter telescope was finished in 2015 and it has attracted astronomy researchers from around the world.

That was also the year that NASA’s New Horizons flew by Pluto, becoming the first spacecraft to explore the dwarf planet. The week of the flyby, Lowell – the observatory responsible for the discovery of Pluto – had about 7,000 visitors.

“We thought it was a spike, but it really was a plateau,” he said. Lowell was beginning to see the emergence of “astrotourism,” and people flocked to Flagstaff, the world’s first Dark Sky City, to appreciate the cosmos. A study conducted for the National Park Service indicates that in the next decade, astrotourism will bring $5.8 billion to the Colorado Plateau and create 10,000 new jobs each year.

The Giovale Open Deck Observatory, part of the new Astronomy Discovery Center at Lowell Observatory, last month when the northern lights were visible in Flagstaff. Photo Credit: Abe Snider.

The ADC at Lowell is likely to drive part of that increase. The 40,000-square-foot facility will feature the Orbits Curiosity Zone children’s exhibit hall, the Stardust Lab Astronomy Gallery, a rooftop Dark Sky Planetarium, and the Lowell Universe Theater, featuring a two-story, 160-degree curved screen. Just outside the ADC is the Giovale Open Deck Observatory with its six advanced state-of-the-art telescopes as well.

For Bosh, who served as the project director for the discovery center, one of the most powerful aspects is the “Diverse Universe Wall” featuring 70 plaques with brief biographies honoring astronomers from diverse backgrounds, many of whom had to overcome obstacles to achieve success in the sciences.

“We want everyone to see themselves in astronomy or science,” she said.

In addition, she said, the discovery center has tremendous potential to spur STEM and STEAM education in the community through its many displays and activities.

“It allows children and adults to learn at their own pace,” she said. “It may not even feel like learning, but just exploring how fun science is and discovering things they didn’t know before.”

We are grateful for the leadership Dr. Hall has provided for more than a decade and wish all the best for Dr. Bosh as she takes up the baton and oversees the grand opening of this amazing asset for our region.