Plumber's backyard observatory became prototype, led to Einstein meeting

In the autumn of 1930, Leo Scanlon, a plumber from Pittsburgh, solved a problem in his backyard that would leave a lasting mark on amateur astronomy. Scanlon was building a private observatory behind his home in the Summer Hill neighbourhood on Pittsburgh's North Side. He needed a lightweight, weather-resistant dome to protect a homemade telescope. Instead of using heavy wood or steel, he tried a material rarely used in construction at the time: sheet aluminium. The result was the Valley View Observatory, which featured what was described as the world's first all-aluminium observatory dome. Its design became a model for later astronomy facilities and helped Scanlon secure a personal meeting with Albert Einstein four years later.Solving a weight problem behind a terrace houseAccording to historical records kept in the Stellafane convention archives, Scanlon began recording daily notes about his backyard project in September 1930.