US Naval Observatory: Another DC Treasure for Educational Tours

I haven't been a registered voter for too many presidential elections in my lifetime, but I don't remember the choices for vice presidential candidates ever getting quite as much attention as they are this year.  Although that is surely untrue - like I said, I haven't been voting-aware for all that long -  this seems like a timely post considering tonight's television schedule, which includes this year's first vice presidential debate.

The office of Vice President is often overlooked by the general public.  It is not often remembered how close the position is to actually becoming our country's next president.  Similarly, the vice president lives on the grounds of a Washington D.C. attraction not always in the forefront of our minds when planning educational tours to our nation's capital.  But perhaps, I can change your mind.

The home of the Vice President is sometimes called "The Admiral's Home".  It is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) and was originally used by the superintendent and then the chief of the observatory, or admiral of the military unit based there.

Unlike the White House, tours are not offered for the beautiful Victorian home used by the Vice President during office.  It is, however, a lovely addition to the USNO grounds, which can be toured throughout the year.

The USNO has many vital roles, especially in timekeeping and accurate navigation, both of which are done through data collected and correctly recorded through the science of astronomy.  A tour of the USNO provides a history of this role and a better understanding of its importance.  If weather permits, visitors get to practice the science themselves as they observe the stars and planets through one of the powerful USNO astronomy tools.

Tours of the USNO must be arranged 4-6 weeks ahead of time and only take place on select Monday evenings throughout the year.  But what a great addition to a D.C. tour!  It is guaranteed that visitors here will never look at the universe in quite the same way.  Even the question, "What time is it?" is bound to hold deeper meaning.  Why do we care so much about the USNO?  It's not exactly because the Vice President lives nearby.  It's because this greater awareness of all there is to learn and study about our  universe is why we believe so strongly in educational tours in the first place.