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The David Dunlap Observatory (DDO) opens in Richmond Hill. The observatory’s 1.9-metre (74-inch) telescope is second largest in the world.
John Percy, professor emeritus, on the history of the DDO.
Over the decades, the light pollution of Richmond Hill encroaches upon the DDO. At the same time, large observatories are built by international collaborations in locations like Hawaii and northern Chile. Prof. Peter Martin becomes director of the DDO and begins discussions with the Dunlap family to continue their grandparent’s legacy.
An endowment fund is established through the sale of observatory property in Richmond Hill, and the Dunlap Institute is founded on the St. George campus of the U of T. It joins the university’s Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics.
Prof. James Graham is appointed the institute’s first director.
