Lowell Observatory

2016 Out West, Arizona, Road Trip


Today’s adventure was to visit Lowell Observatory, the earthly home of the planet Pluto. In the late 19th Century Percival Lowell, a Harvard trained mathematician, had a keen interest in astronomy. He had done calculations indicating the presence of a planet beyond Neptune and went looking for a location suitable for an observatory to further his pursuit of the heavenly body we now know as the dwarf planet, Pluto. We spent a few hours here at the observatory that he established in Flagstff AZ, learning about the man, his work, and the research continuing here a hundred years after his death. We concluded our visit by pausing at his mausoleum and paying our respects to Karen’s distant cousin!

We ended the adventure with a meal at the approximately named Galaxy Diner, a Route 66 era eatery festooned with photos of Hollywood stars located within close proximity to the observatory where seminal research leading the the Big Bang theory occurred. There’s enough cool stuff around here we’ve extended our stay at Flagstaff KOA to three nights!




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