The David Dunlap Observatory (DDO) is an astronomical observatory site in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1935, it was owned and operated by the University of Toronto until 2008. It was then acquired by the city of Richmond Hill, which provides a combination of heritage preservation, unique recreation opportunities and a celebration of the astronomical history of the site. Its primary instrument is a 74-inch (1.88 m) reflector telescope, at one time the second-largest telescope in the world, and still the largest in Canada. Several other telescopes are also located at the site, which formerly also included a small radio telescope. The scientific legacy of the David Dunlap Observatory continues in the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, a research institute at the University of Toronto established in 2008.
The 74-inch (1.9 m) telescope (left) and Administration Building (right) at the David Dunlap Observatory
Concept sketch of David Dunlap Observatory
David Alexander Dunlap, c. 1920
Construction of the observatory's dome in Newcastle upon Tyne, after which it was dismantled and shipped to Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill is a city in south-central York Region, Ontario, Canada. Part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is the York Region's third most populous municipality and the 27th most populous municipality in Canada. Richmond Hill is situated between the cities of Markham and Vaughan, north of Thornhill, and south of Aurora.
Downtown Richmond Hill
Cenotaph on Yonge Street
Village of Richmond Hill, with original logo
The Central Library, one of four branches of the Richmond Hill Public Library located in Richmond Hill