At Lowell, a Hidden Wall Shows Who Gets to Touch the Stars

Space is everywhere these days. With NASA’s Artemis II moon launch, a new season of “For All Mankind,” and the sci-fi blockbuster “Project Hail Mary,” it seems Americans are in the midst of a space craze.

In Flagstaff, though, that out-of-this-world yearning is year-round at Lowell Observatory, where the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered nearly a century ago. 

Visitors have long been able to see the telescope built in 1928-29 that led to Pluto’s discovery. But on the second floor of the Astronomy Discovery Center, the Diverse Universe Wall features 72 placards with brief bios and images of people who have contributed to our understanding of space.

Included is a broad representation of gender identities, illustrating how anyone — from any background — can help us understand ourselves and our place in the cosmos.

Among those in that history? Queer people whom you may have not known about. 

“I was kind of taken aback by the diversity among the scientists and people on that wall,” said Ryan Randazzo, media relations and marketing project manager for Discover Flagstaff and a member of Lowell Observatory. “For me, it broke some stereotypes about what type of people do science like this.”

A broader representation of space explorers

When the idea was floated to feature people involved in astronomy and space exploration, the team at Lowell Observatory wanted to broaden representation beyond Nicolaus Copernicus, Albert Einstein and others, said Samantha Christensen, public program content manager at Lowell Observatory.

“We liked the idea of highlighting people who had contributed to astronomy or our knowledge of the universe, but we … wanted to do something different,” she said. “We decided we wanted to highlight people who maybe weren’t so well-known, and also, one of our goals was to have anyone who steps in front of the wall to see themselves reflected back.”

Michael West—who’s no longer with Lowell—selected, researched and wrote about all the people included on the Diverse Universe Wall, and the Lowell leadership team reviewed the placards. West reached out to everyone who was still alive, which is about half of them, to get their permission. 

Sally Ride is memorialized as  “the first known LGBTQ astronaut, although this was only revealed after she died in 2012.” 

Jan Eldridge, a nonbinary transgender astrophysicist, is quoted on a plaque describing their work studying “exploding binary stars while exploding the myth of a gender binary.” 

Christensen said that although some visitors don’t notice the placards, “almost every time I’m in the building, there’s a handful of people who are really absorbed in the exhibit and take the time to read all or nearly all of the panels.”

Seeing stars — and planets, galaxies and more

The Diverse Universe Wall is one part of the 44,000-square-foot, $53.4 million Astronomy Discovery Center, which also includes hands-on exhibits, interactive galleries, a rooftop planetarium and telescope viewing.

There’s also an open deck for nighttime stargazing, the Origins Gallery — featuring a suspended piece of art depicting the universe’s evolution — and the Lowell Universe Theater with movies and live presentations.

Of course, no visit is complete without seeing the Clark Telescope, which arrived in 1895, a year after the observatory was founded, and the Pluto Discovery Telescope, used to find the dwarf planet in 1930.

The Pluto Discovery Telescope also has an underdog story in the sciences: Clyde W. Tombaugh, who found the celestial body, was a 24-year-old Kansas farm boy and self-trained astronomer. His determination, DIY mindset and lack of formal education are part of what makes Lowell and its programs so approachable, and the additions carry on that tradition.

“With our new visitor center, the Astronomy Discovery Center, we were very intentional about wanting people to feel welcome when they step in the doors and not feel intimidated,” Christensen said. “We want to make the wonders of the universe accessible to everyone.”

Lowell Observatory

Address: 1400 W. Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Phone: 928-774-3358
Hours: Noon to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays)

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