View source for Oak Ridge Observatory

{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}{{Short description|Observatory in Harvard, Massachusetts}}
{{Infobox Observatory|location=[[Harvard, Massachusetts]]}}

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="font-size: 0.9em; width: 270px;"
|+ [[Minor planet]]s discovered: 38<ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />
|-
| ''see {{section link||List of discovered minor planets}}''
|}

The '''Oak Ridge Observatory''' ('''ORO''', code: [[List of observatory codes#801|801]]), also known as the '''George R. Agassiz Station''', is located at 42 Pinnacle Road, [[Harvard, Massachusetts]]. It was operated by the [[Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics|Center for Astrophysics {{!}} Harvard & Smithsonian]] as a facility of the [[Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory]] (SAO) from 1933 until August 19, 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/oakridge/oakridge/ |title=Oak Ridge Observatory |access-date=2008-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510150608/http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/oakridge/oakridge/ |archive-date=2008-05-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Description ==

The observatory was established in 1933. Through its first 40 years, its primary research focus was on tracking [[minor planet]]s and [[asteroid]]s in the [[Solar System]]. Starting in the 1980s, astronomers began to use the facility to measure stars over long periods of time, which led to hunts for [[extrasolar planet]]s.

The largest [[telescope]] east of [[Texas]] in the [[United States]] is the 61-inch reflector ''(see [[Hobby-Eberly Telescope]])''. However, most of its projects were discontinued in 2005. [[Harvard University]]'s [[Optical SETI]] program continues at the site.<ref>{{cite web | title=Oak Ridge Observatory | url=http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/oakridge/oak.ridge.html }}</ref>

It also housed an {{convert|84|ft|m|adj=on}} steerable [[radio telescope]] once used in Project BETA, a search for [[extraterrestrial intelligence]].  A 41-cm (16-inch) [[Boller and Chivens]] [[Cassegrain reflector]] originally housed at Oak Ridge is available for public use at the [[National Air and Space Museum]]'s Public Observatory Project on the [[National Mall]] in Washington, DC.<ref>[http://blog.nasm.si.edu/2009/03/29/international-year-of-astronomy-public-observatory-project-at-the-national-air-and-space-museum NASM AirSpace Blog, March 29, 2009.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731065403/http://blog.nasm.si.edu/2009/03/29/international-year-of-astronomy-public-observatory-project-at-the-national-air-and-space-museum/ |date=July 31, 2009 }} and [http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/POPobservatory.cfm NASM Public Observatory Project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100222061545/http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/POPobservatory.cfm |date=2010-02-22 }}</ref>

The inner [[main-belt]] asteroid [[4733 ORO]], discovered at Oak Ridge in 1982, was named in honor of the observatory.<ref name="springer" />

== List of discovered minor planets ==
{{See also|Category:Discoveries by the Oak Ridge Observatory}}

In addition to the discoveries below, the [[Minor Planet Center]] inconsistently credits some asteroids such as [[4760&nbsp;Jia-xiang]] directly to the [[Harvard College Observatory]] although they have been discovered at Oak Ridge.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; float: left; width: 26em; margin-right: 1em; height: 392px;
|-
| [[2674 Pandarus]] || 27 January 1982 || {{small|{{LoMP|2674|list}}}}
|-
| [[2872 Gentelec]] || 5 September 1981 || {{small|{{LoMP|2872|list}}}}
|-
| [[3076 Garber]] || 13 September 1982 || {{small|{{LoMP|3076|list}}}}
|-
| [[3342 Fivesparks]] || 27 January 1982 || {{small|{{LoMP|3342|list}}}}
|-
| [[3773 Smithsonian]] || 23 December 1984 || {{small|{{LoMP|3773|list}}}}
|-
| [[3797 Ching-Sung Yu]] || 22 December 1987 || {{small|{{LoMP|3797|list}}}}
|-
| [[4372 Quincy]] || 3 October 1984 || {{small|{{LoMP|4372|list}}}}
|-
| [[4733 ORO]] || 19 April 1982 || {{small|{{LoMP|4733|list}}}}
|-
| [[5976 Kalatajean]] || 25 September 1992 || {{small|{{LoMP|5976|list}}}}
|-
| [[6696 Eubanks]] || 1 September 1986 || {{small|{{LoMP|6696|list}}}}
|-
| [[6949 Zissell]] || 11 September 1982 || {{small|{{LoMP|6949|list}}}}
|-
| [[7276 Maymie]] || 4 September 1983 || {{small|{{LoMP|7276|list}}}}
|-
| [[7383 Lassovszky]] || 30 September 1981 || {{small|{{LoMP|7383|list}}}}
|-
| [[7386 Paulpellas]] || 25 November 1981 || {{small|{{LoMP|7386|list}}}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; float: left; width: 26em; margin-right: 1em; height: 392px;
|-
| [[7461 Kachmokiam]] || 3 October 1984 || {{small|{{LoMP|7461|list}}}}
|-
| [[7639 Offutt]] || 21 February 1985 || {{small|{{LoMP|7639|list}}}}
|-
| [[7738 Heyman]] || 24 November 1981 || {{small|{{LoMP|7738|list}}}}
|-
| [[7940 Erichmeyer]] || 13 March 1991 || {{small|{{LoMP|7940|list}}}}
|-
| [[8161 Newman]] || 19 August 1990 || {{small|{{LoMP|8161|list}}}}
|-
| [[8357 O'Connor]] || 25 September 1989 || {{small|{{LoMP|8357|list}}}}
|-
| [[8496 Jandlsmith]] || 16 August 1990 || {{small|{{LoMP|8496|list}}}}
|-
| [[9179 Satchmo]] || 13 March 1991 || {{small|{{LoMP|9179|list}}}}
|-
| [[9291 Alanburdick]] || 17 August 1982 || {{small|{{LoMP|9291|list}}}}
|-
| [[9929 McConnell]] || 24 February 1982 || {{small|{{LoMP|9929|list}}}}
|-
| [[10289 Geoffperry]] || 24 August 1984 || {{small|{{LoMP|10289|list}}}}
|-
| [[10290 Kettering]] || 17 September 1985 || {{small|{{LoMP|10290|list}}}}
|-
| [[12223 Hoskin]] || 8 October 1983 || {{small|{{LoMP|12223|list}}}}
|-
| [[12224 Jimcornell]] || 19 October 1984 || {{small|{{LoMP|12224|list}}}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; float: left; width: 26em; margin-right: 1em; height: 280px;
|-
| {{mp|(12319) 1992 PC}} || 2 August 1992 || {{small|{{LoMP|12319|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(13635) 1995 WA|42}} || 22 November 1995 || {{small|{{LoMP|13635|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(14416) 1991 RU|7}} || 8 September 1991 || {{small|{{LoMP|14416|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(14830) 1986 XR|5}} || 5 December 1986 || {{small|{{LoMP|14830|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(15731) 1990 UW|2}} || 16 October 1990 || {{small|{{LoMP|15731|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(16437) 1988 XX|1}} || 7 December 1988 || {{small|{{LoMP|16437|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(17400) 1985 PL|1}} || 13 August 1985 || {{small|{{LoMP|17400|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(26809) 1984 QU}} || 24 August 1984 || {{small|{{LoMP|26809|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(43755) 1983 RJ|1}} || 5 September 1983 || {{small|{{LoMP|43755|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(168315) 1982 RA|1}} || 13 September 1982 || {{small|{{LoMP|168315|list}}}}
|}
{{clear}}

== See also ==
* [[Harvard University seismograph station]]
* [[Hobby–Eberly Telescope]]
* {{section link|List of minor planet discoverers|Discovering dedicated institutions}}
* [[List of astronomical observatories]]
* [[Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory]]
* [[Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory]]

== References ==
{{reflist
|refs=

<ref name="springer">{{cite book
  |title      = Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (4733) ORO
  |last       = Schmadel | first = Lutz D.
  |publisher  = Springer Berlin Heidelberg
  |page       = 408
  |date       = 2007
  |isbn       = 978-3-540-00238-3
  |doi       = 10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_4643 |chapter       = (4733) Oro }}</ref>

<ref name="MPC-Discoverers">{{cite web
  |title      = Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html
  |date       = 12 January 2017
  |access-date = 20 May 2017}}</ref>

}} <!-- end of reflist -->

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal | last=Bok | first=Bart J. | title=The George R. Agassiz Radio Telescope of Harvard Observatory | journal=Nature | volume=178 | issue=4527 | year=1956 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/178232a0 | pages=232–234 | bibcode=1956Natur.178..232B }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Oak Ridge Observatory}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080510150608/http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/oakridge/oakridge/ Oak Ridge Observatory]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd7_L9pM7qk Slacker Astronomy: Optical SETI at Harvard's Oak Ridge] – via YouTube
* [http://seti.harvard.edu/oseti/index.html Harvard Optical SETI]
* [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2005/06/28/lights_out/ ''The Boston Globe'': "Lights out", June 28, 2005]

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[[Category:Astronomical observatories in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Worcester County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Discoveries by the Oak Ridge Observatory|*]]
[[Category:Harvard University]]
[[Category:Minor-planet discovering observatories]]