Telescopes and Observatories

Copenhagen

The Rundetårn (Round Tower) in Copenhagen was built by Christian IV in 1642 and has claims to being the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. The important Danish astronomer Ole Rømer was one of the early directors of the observatory.

The top of the tower is reached by a vaulted brick spiral more than 200 metres long. This brings one up to the viewing deck, 35 metres above ground which gives a fine view across the rooftops of Copenhagen.

Visit the Round Tower web site

Parramatta Observatory, New South Wales, Australia

The Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, established a private observatory in the grounds of Government House, Parramatta, in 1822. Brisbane's plan to undertake extensive southern-hemisphere astronomy pre-dated the establishment of the official southern-hemisphere observatory in Cape Town. Brisbane brought with him Carl Rümker and James Dunlop to operate the observatory, along with a substantial suite of instruments. The observation of the predicted return of Encke's comet on 2 June 1822 was the first significant achievement of the observatory.
When Brisbane returned to Britain in 1825, the observatory and its equipment were purchased by the Colonial Government. Rümker was appointed the colony's first Government Astronomer in 1826 and was succeeded by Dunlop in 1831. Parramatta Observatory continued to function until about 1840 and was officially closed in 1847. Only a couple of stone piers remain today, but an obelisk (see below) was erected in 1880 to mark the site of the observatory.

The remains of Parramatta Observatory being
scrutinised by Anita McConnell, March 1997

The site of Parramatta Observatory from an old postcard

Much of the original equipment from Parramatta Observatory was transferred to Sydney Observatory when it was established in 1858 and is now preserved by the Powerhouse Museum. Some of the instruments are on display at Sydney Observatory which is open to the public.

A Parramatta Observatory Virtual Museum website is being developed

York Observatory, York, England

This small observatory was built by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society in 1832-33,
following a resolution of the inaugural meeting of the British Association for the
Advancement of Science held in the Society's Museum close by in 1831.

The Great Telescope at Birr Castle, Ireland

The motion of the telescope being demonstrated, September 2000

When this telescope was built in the early 1840s it was the largest telescope in the world. It was designed by, and built for, William, third Earl of Rosse (1800-1867) at Birr Castle in the heart of Ireland. A few years earlier, the Earl had already built a telescope with a 36-inch mirror. This new telescope, while less manoeuvrable, had a 72-inch mirror allowing the observation of very distant astronomical objects. With this powerful telescope, Lord Rosse was able to resolve details of nebulous gas clouds. He observed that they contained stars and had a spiral structure. He concluded that these nebulae were not part of our own galaxy.

The telescope was dismantled in 1908 following the death of the fourth Earl of Rosse. It was restored during 1994-1999 and can now be visited along with excellent displays on the building and operation of the telescope and the third Earl's scientific discoveries.

Visit the Birr Castle Demesne web site

Sydney Observatory, New South Wales, Australia

Sydney Observatory viewed from the south from a post card sent in 1908. The housing
for the meteorological instruments can be seen in the foreground.

After several years of indecision following the closure of Parramatta Observatory, the establishment of a full astronomical observatory for Sydney was mooted in 1853. Sydney Observatory was opened in 1858. From its commanding position overlooking Sydney Harbour, one of the Observatory's important functions was to provided a time-ball time service to ships in the Harbour. The Observatory also became the centre for an extensive network of meteorological observing stations. Among the astronomical work were observations of the transit of Venus in 1874 and participation in the Carte du Ciel project.

It ceased to be a working observatory in 1983 and is now a branch of the Museum of Applied Arts
and Sciences (Powerhouse Museum). In recent years it has been increasingly overlooked (though
not overshadowed) by high-rise office buildings and hotels.

Visit the Sydney Observatory web site

Tebbutt's Observatory, Windsor, New South Wales, Australia

John Tebbutt (1834 -1916) began making astronomical observations in 1853 with a small marine telescope and he soon purchased a marine sextant. Observation of the spectacular Donati's Comet in 1858 strengthened his passion for astronomy. Tebbutt's discovery of the Great Comet of 1861 brought him to international attention. He observed what was to become the most spectacular comet of the 19th century nearly a month before it was detected by any other astronomer. This success led Tebbutt to purchase a 3¼-inch refractor. He then built a small observatory to house it. He acquired a 4½-inch equatorial refractor in good time for the transit of Venus in 1874.

The purchase of an 8-inch equatorial refractor by Grubb in 1885 necessitated a new building - the round building to the right above - and this remained the principal instrument for Tebbutt's subsequent astronomical work. Although an amateur - he turned down the opportunity to be director of Sydney Observatory - Tebbutt ran his observatory on a highly systematic basis. In addition to publishing papers in scientific journals he produced annual reports which he exchanged with observatories all over the world.

Carter Observatory, Wellington, New Zealand

Carter Observatory is the National Observatory of New Zealand. It was opened in December 1941 and succeeded several previous observatories in Wellington. The dome on the left houses a planetarium. The dome on the right houses a 23 cm refractor built by Thomas Cooke & Sons in the 1860s.

Standing close to the Carter Observatory is the Dominion Observatory (or the Seismological Observatory). Built in 1907, it was originally known as the Hector Observatory. The Thomas King Observatory, built by the Astronomical Section of the Wellington Philosophical Society in 1912, also stands close by.

Visit the Carter Observatory web site

Crawford Observatory, University College Cork

The Crawford Observatory was built in 1880. The brewer William H. Crawford contributed £1000 towards the cost of instruments. These were commissioned from the famous Irish telescope maker, Howard Grubb. Subsequently Crawford contributed funds to assist what was then Queen's College to participate in the international project for celestial photography and mapping. The Observatory has been disused for some years.

Perth Observatory, Western Australia

The restored Troughton and Simms meridian telescope from the original Perth
Observatory, today in the foyer of the present Perth Observatory.

Visit the Perth Observatory web site

Mount Stromlo Observatory, Canberra, Australia

Originally established as the Commonwealth Solar Observatory in 1924,
it was subsequently known as the Commonwealth Observatory. Mt Stromlo
Observatory has been part of the Australian National University since 1957.

Visit the Mount Stromlo Observatory web site

Spiral Nebulae

One of the pleasures of a visit to Birr Castle Demesne is to wander the grounds and see the formal garden. In the more open grounds near where the Great Birr Telescope stands is a representation of a spiral nebula. This consists of a hollow in the ground (right) representing the centre of the nebula and two spiral arms cut in the long grass which form a pathway through the nebula.

Sculptural representation of a spiral nebula made with
blocks of stone at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.