Are you curious about how the 1854 Detroit Observatory came to be -- and why it is in Ann Arbor, NOT Detroit? Michigan is not the most likely place to build a state-of-the-art astronomical observatory. However, the Detroit Observatory, named in honor of major donors from Detroit, was the centerpiece of President Henry Philip Tappan's efforts to transform the University of Michigan into one of the first research universities in the United States. Karen Wright, Program Coordinator for the University of Michigan Detroit Observatory will discuss the people, the ideas, the technology and the economics that resulted in the creation and preservation of this 19th century observatory. This event is held in conjunction with The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2009, which, this year focuses on the theme The Universe: Yours To Discover.