Atop a mesa one mile west of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, sits Lowell
Observatory, an astronomical research facility steeped in tradition.
Percival Lowell, scion of a Boston Brahmin family, initially established
his observatory in 1894 to study the possibility of intelligent life on
Mars. Lowell widely popularized his controversial theories, sparking
debate among both the scientific community and lay public. In the
following years, the observatory's astronomers made several discoveries
that dramatically altered our understanding of space, including Clyde
Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto in 1930 and V.M. Slipher's detection of
the expanding nature of the universe in 1912. Decades later, Apollo
astronauts visited as part of their training to fly to the moon. These
stories and others offer a glimpse of the scientific discovery,
community pride, and personal triumph that define Lowell Observatory.