• Brendan86's collections

Telescopes

Created: 11.07.11

A collection of all the telescopes currently on display in the old Royal Observatory Greenwich. Ordered chronologically showing the advances in astronomy from mapping the heavens with huge quadrants to weighing distant stars using the grandiose 28 inch refracting telescope in the green onion dome.


  • Name
  • Artist / Maker
  • Date made
  • ID
  • Sharp, Abraham
    circa 1700
    AST0924
    Refractor telescope

    This is a double refracting wooden telescope on an equatorial mounting. The maker, Abraham Sharp, is significant to the Observatory in that he worked as assistant astronomer and instrument maker to the Observatory's first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed between 1676…

  • Graham, George
    1727
    AST0992
    Zenith sector

    This telescope was constructed by George Graham in 1727 for Bradley's personal use in studying the parallax of the star Gamma Draconis. When he was appointed third Astronomer Royal in 1742, Bradley only agreed to bring this instrument to Greenwich…

  • Graham, George
    1721
    AST0979
    Transit instrument

    This 5-foot (153 cm) telescope is the earliest at the Observatory that can definitely be associated with its history. Instruments of this sort were a relatively recent invention and Halley's was possibly the first made in England. Lighter and less…

  • Bird, John
    circa 1749
    AST0980
    Transit instrument

    This transit instrument was commissioned by Astronomer Royal James Bradley in 1749 and remained in use until 1816. It was erected a little to the east of Halley's earlier meridian instruments marking out a new north-south line (or meridian) referred…

  • Troughton
    1816
    AST0982
    Transit instrument

    In July 1816, Edward Troughton's 10-foot transit instrument replaced Bradley's earlier one, and reconfirmed Bradley's meridian as the Prime Meridian for the Observatory until December 1850. The telescope itself was regularly calibrated by taking sightings off a number of distant…

  • Troughton, Edward
    1810
    AST0973
    Mural circle

    This 6-foot mural circle was first installed at the Observatory in 1812. Full circle measuring instruments became possible and popular after the development of the dividing engine towards the end of the 18th century. Maskelyne, the astronomer royal at the…

  • Troughton, Edward
    1812
    AST0994
    Zenith sector

    This 2.87m (9.5ft) zenith tube or zenith micrometer was commissioned by the Astronomer Royal John Pond and built by Edward Troughton in 1812. It was built to work alongside the mural circle (AST0973) after the circle was criticised by members…

  • Ransomes & May
    1850
    AST0991
    Airy's transit circle

    Constructing Airy's huge transit circle was a major undertaking. The engineering was carried out by Ransomes & May of Ipswich and Troughton & Sims constructed both the optical parts (including the 206 mm object lens) and the main body, but…

  • Sir William Herschel
    1785-89
    A1958-64
    40-foot Herschelian (reflector) telescope tube remains

    This is the remaining 10ft of the speculum end of William Herschel's 40ft Herschelian (reflector) telescope tube. The remaining tube is made of iron and painted grey. For 50 years, this telescope was the largest in the world. King George…

  • Grubb, Howard
    1893 (Mount 1859)
    AST0932
    28-inch visual (refractor) telescope

    Twice in its history, observations with the twenty-eight-inch refractor have been disturbed. The first time was during the First World War. Then, in 1939, the valuable object glass was sent to a place of safety during the Second World War.…

  • Cooke, Thomas
    circa 1888
    AST0929
    Newbegin telescope

    This is a double banked telescope on a German equatorial mounting. This 6 1/2 inch refractor was given to the Observatory in 1947 by A. M. Newbegin (along with a 22ft dome) and mounted and used with a Dallmeyer photoheliograph…

  • Dallmeyer, J. H.
    circa 1873
    A1980-4
    Photoheliograph

    This is a photoheliograph, a type of telescope made for photographing the Sun. This example was originally commissioned in 1871 as one of five photoheliographs ordered from the maker Thomas Rudolphus Dallmeyer, son of John Henry Dallmeyer, for the British…

  • Sharp, Abraham
    circa 1710
    AST0969
    Mural quadrant

    These are the unfinished remains of a 5ft wall or mural quadrant made by Flamsteed's instrument maker, Abraham Sharp. Though never used or intended for use at Greenwich this is one of the few surviving examples of the work of…