Lowell Observatory

Continuing a 130-year-long legacy of astronomical discovery, Lowell Observatory astronomers, planetary scientists, and other researchers conducted forefront research in many areas of astronomy from the sun and our solar system to exoplanets, stars, galaxies, and cosmology. In 2023, Lowell scientists published 121 peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journals, along with another 70 papers in other venues. Lowell scientists also gave numerous presentations at scientific conferences and public outreach events, and participated in major scientific missions using world-leading telescopes across the globe and in space. Lowell scientific staff continue to be very successful at obtaining grants in support of their research from nasa, the national science foundation, and other agencies. The 4.3-meter Lowell discovery telescope (ldt) delivered approximately 280 science nights used by astronomers on the staff at Lowell, and our partner institutions: boston university, northern Arizona university, the university of Maryland, the university of toledo, and yale university. In total, the ldt featured prominently in more than 50 scientific or technical publications. The ldt's growing suite of state-of-the-art instruments, such as the high-precision spectrograph expres, enable cutting edge research across multiple fields, including the search for exoplanets. Lowell Observatory also continued to operate other smaller research telescopes at its anderson mesa and mars hill sites; at the mesa they installed and are commissioning a modern 1-meter telescope. Access to local telescopes equipped with world-class instruments has enabled science that could not be done elsewhere. Planning is underway on a long term science and technology vision, including a new technical services building that will greatly increase the instrumentation and engineering capabilities of its technical staff. Lowell Observatory also engaged in a strong program of research and development aimed at new technologies to benefit its observing facilities and the larger astronomical community.

Lowell Observatory's public programs operated throughout 2023 in much the way they did prior to the pandemic. General admission offerings for over 80,000 visitors included regularly scheduled daytime guided tours of the mars hill campus, and nighttime dark sky tours. Staff hosted open houses of the historic clark and pluto telescopes, and provided regularly scheduled talks, describing the history and importance of the discovery of pluto, current astronomical research, the life cycle of stars and outdoor constellation talks. Special tours and programs provided small group access to the 24inch dyer telescope and instruction in astrophotography. Programs focused on children also grew in 2023. Over 5,500 school children visited Lowell as part of school field trips. The Lowell Observatory camps for kids programs continued a decade-long growth trend in the summer and served more than 250 children, with a waiting list of over 200. The native american astronomy outreach program team conducted classroom visits throughout the school year and hosted summer and winter camps for students. Lowell educators continued to support stem outreach activities through the flagstaff family food center (fffc). The Observatory also participated in local outreach events, including the flagstaff star party and science in the park.working in collaboration with the marketing and communications department, the outreach team continued to provide on-line educational programming. Regular offerings included "star stuff" podcasts, "interactive stargazing", and "mars hill almanac." Special programming in 2023 included the annual i heart pluto festival (in hybrid form), the october annular solar eclipse and livestreams highlighting lunar eclipses, meteor showers, and national astronomy day. Private events and facility rentals were hosted at Lowell, and the events team pulled off several successful events both on and off-campus. After three years of construction and raising $53.6 million dollars for the new building, Lowell Observatory expects to celebrate the grand opening of the marley foundation astronomy discovery center (adc) in november 2024. The adc will be a place to spark curiosity and discovery for visitors from around the globe. The three-story, 40,200-square-foot adc will feature a state-of-the-art theater, exhibit galleries, and a rooftop amphitheater for exploring flagstaff's famously dark skies. The entirety of the cost of the facility was funded by philanthropic donations and state-funded grants a testament to the incredible support from our communities and a show of how much such a science center is needed in northern Arizona. In preparation for the adc, teams across the Observatory have come together to plan everything from programming, exhibit design, interpretive signage needs, branding, and guest traffic flow.