MIT Geodetic Observatory

Save the date! The 122nd celebration of the MIT Geodetic Observatory is being held on 6/19/21 - please join us on the Summer Solstice as we measure the circumference of the earth with simple tools (and help from the sun).

"The MIT Geodetic Observatory In the Middlesex Fells" is an 1899 historic site located within the borders of Malden, Massachusetts - land that is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

You can read about it in this free 60+ page booklet with photos, maps, and more - including a bit of historical, local and scientific lore.

You can learn more about the Massachusetts DCR at:
Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR)

And more about measuring the circumference of the earth with a yardstick (as a gnomon) and a World Atlas from:
Eratosthenes' Measurement of the Earth's circumference

Watch this space for info on Observatory Day 6/19/21. Location TBD.

Please email any questions or comments to: maldenhistory@gmail.com