Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wis. will no longer be run by the University of Chicago, starting later this year. The university announced it will cease operations at the observatory by Oct. 1.
The University of Chicago first established the observatory in 1897.
School officials say the observatory helped build the foundation for modern astrophysics.
Notable scientists such as George Ellery Hale, Edwin Hubble and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar have been linked to the observatory, which is also widely known for its outreach and education programs.
The staff at Yerkes and the university will still honor existing commitments for events at the observatory through Oct. 1.
It's not clear what the observatory will used for going forward.
