Percival Lowell detail in mid-1896 soon after the Alvan Clark & Sons refracting telescope was installed at his new Flagstaff, Arizona observatory. Lowell observed the planet high in the daytime sky with the telescope's lens stopped down to 3 inches in diameter to reduce the effect of the turbulent daytime atmosphere. Lowell observed spoke-like surface features including a central dark spot, contrary to what was suspected then (and known now): that Venus has no surface features visible from Earth, being covered in an atmosphere that is opaque. It has been noted in a 2003 "Journal for the History of Astronomy" paper and
Lowell Township, Michigan Lowell Township, Michigan Lowell Charter Township is a charter township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 5,219. The City of Lowell is in the northern portion of the township, but is administratively autonomous. According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (2.10%) is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,219 people, 1,726 households, and 1,410 families residing in the township. The population density was 159.9 per square mile (61.8/km²).