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Maselspoort Accommodation: Nearby towns with accommodation:
Bloemfontein Accommodation | Ficksburg Accommodation | Ladybrand Accommodation
Fouriesburg Accommodation | Clarens Accommodation | Winburg Accommodation
The Boyden Observatory, located in Maselspoort, just outside of Bloemfontein, South Africa.
It was originally founded by Harvard University and placed near Lima, Peru in 1889. In 1927, it was moved to its present location just south of the small resort of Maselspoort, north-east of the city of Bloemfontein, South Africa, and is managed by the University of the Free State. It was named after Uriah A. Boyden, who in 1879 left in his will $238,000 to Harvard College Observatory to be used for astronomical purposes.
The Observatory houses the third largest optical telescope in South Africa, namely the 60-inch (1.5 meter) UFS-Boyden Rockefeller reflector. Other telescopes include the 13-inch (33 cm) Alvin Clark refractor which is over a century old, the historical 10-inch (25 cm) Metcalf Triplet refractor, the 16-inch (40 cm) Nishimura reflector, the 16-inch (40 cm) Watcher robotic telescope, a 20 cm Coelostat solar telescope and various smaller mobile telescopes.
The observatory is constantly experiencing growth in visitor numbers and the extension of its facilities. Medium term plans call for e.g. the establishment of an educational walking route for visitors to appreciate the diverse natural life in the area, a museum and science exhibition areas, upgrading of the educational telescope facilities etc. Long term plans include the construction of a digital planetarium and the completion of the fully-fledged Science Hall.
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