DePauw's McKim Observatory on cover of Hoosier magazine

DePauw University's McKim Observatory is pictured on the cover of the Indiana Preservationist magazine.

DePauw University's McKim Observatory is pictured on the cover of the latest issue of Indiana Preservationist magazine, published by Indiana Landmarks.

Inside the March-April edition of the publication, a feature on domed structures notes, "When it was built in 1884, (the observatory) was in the country, well outside Greencastle. Today, houses and community development surround the landmark (in the middle of DePauw Avenue on the northeast side of the city), but the university's astronomy students still use the facility."

Howard Brooks, DePauw professor of physics and astronomy, is quoted in the article.

"We do lose some really faint objects, but because of the size of the scope, we didn't see them that well to begin with," Brooks said of the light pollution that comes with urbanization.

The article adds, "The university renovated the observatory in the '70s, when the landmark won listing in the National Register. A motorized dome replaced the rusty iron original, and the university added a deck over the observatory library's roof for additional gazing."

McKim Observatory is open to the public on select nights in the fall through early spring, it was noted.