Yerkes Observatory

Aristocratic and stately, this observatory is the birthplace of modern astrophysics - where astronomy was taken to a level beyond hobby and into true scientific research. When it was built in 1897, it was the world's largest telescope, with a 40-inch lens inside a 60-foot, 6-ton tube. It is still the largest lens of its kind, as newer, more advanced lenses are now used which offer a clearer picture of the heavens. Many important discoveries were made here such as the presence of CO₂ and Uranus' fifth moon, Amalthea.