The Instruments from Parramatta Observatory
Citations Over TimeTop 12% of 2004 papers
Abstract
Sydney Observatory, Australia's oldest existing observatory, was built in 1858 on what is now called Observatory Hill. With such a long continuous history the Observatory has a good collection of astronomical instruments relating to its own history. Moreover, the collection extends further back to Parramatta Observatory, set up in 1821 by Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane. After the closure of that observatory in 1847 its instruments were retained in the colony and given to the fledgling Sydney Observatory on its establishment. Instruments from Paramatta on display at Sydney Observatory include a brass repeating circle by the eminent Munich instrument makers Reichenbach, Utzschneider and Liebherr, a Troughton transit telescope, an equatorial telescope by Banks and a 1791 celestial globe. There is also an astronomical regulator by Hardy. Brisbane acquired some of these instruments for his previous observatory in Scotland while some were obtained specifically for his Australian observatory. This paper discusses the use of these instruments at Parramatta and their subsequent fate at Sydney Observatory.
Related Papers
- → The NMSU 1 m Telescope at Apache Point Observatory(2010)39 cited
- → SBG camera of Kourovka Astronomical observatory(2012)2 cited
- → VST project: mechanical design optimization(2003)2 cited
- → VST project: drive system design and strategies for performance optimization(2003)1 cited
- Visual supernova searching with the 40-inch telescope at Siding Spring Observatory.(1996)