Observing, by Simon Hurst
We were here for the "great gig in the sky" - ok, enough of the song titles, let’s get on with it.
From planets, dumbbells, galaxies, and double stars to pointing out constellations - you name it, we looked at it through a variety of telescopes: a 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain, 8” Dobsonian, 6” Refractor, and an EV Scope to boot. So, let’s get going on what we saw.
Saturn was an amazing sight through the 8” Dob, with its rings on full display and Clive at the helm, helping to answer questions and make little adjustments to keep this jewel of a planet in view.
Richard had his EV Scope ready and waiting for our members to view a real treat - the Dumbbell Nebula in all its glory, with its colours popping out. A truly amazing sight, and the first time I had a look through this type of system. Ok, I’m kind of changing my view on these systems.
Our three Royal Observatory explainers had the 6” refractor pointing out of our galaxy to a whole different one - the Andromeda Galaxy. Then they switched to Albireo, a double star (though not a true binary system) in the constellation of Cygnus. Its yellow and blue stars are always a pleaser.
I had the 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain, and after a little trouble aligning it - for "I give up" reasons - centred it on Almach, a true binary system in the constellation of Andromeda. Like Albireo, it contains a yellow and blue star, though the blue looked to me to be more greenish-blue, which somehow made it even better. Once I got Phil to fine-tune the focus for me, others could see a sharper image (yup, wrong glasses - lesson learned). After everyone had a look, I remembered the debate at our last lecture on which is the better double star: Albireo vs. Almach. So I took a chance and slewed the scope almost 180° to Albireo, and, what do you know, it was almost in the centre! Not too bad at this aligning lark after all.
Alas, I’m still undecided - they’re both awesome sights, like jewels in a crown of the cosmos. That being said, I did think Almach was a bit sharper, and the colours popped a little more - at least through this scope.
Behind the Scenes Tour, by Mike Meynell
Flamsteed members also enjoyed an exclusive “behind-the-scenes” tour of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, with two groups swapping midway through the evening to experience both the tour and the observing session.
The Octagon Room
We began in Flamsteed House with the Octagon Room, one of the oldest parts of the observatory, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Originally called the Great Room, this space was later renamed the Octagon Room. Its unusual design, with large windows and a high ceiling, was intended to accommodate long pendulum clocks and to provide views of the Sun, Moon, and planets. Though it wasn’t ideal for observations due to lack of roof openings, the room was used for early astronomical work and later became a workspace for the “Computers” who processed data by hand in the 19th century.
The Harrison Clocks
Next, we visited the Time Gallery, where John Harrison’s clocks, H1 through H4, are displayed. Each clock marks a stage in Harrison’s attempt to solve the problem of determining longitude at sea. H4, his most successful design, provided the accuracy needed for safe global navigation. We talked about Harrison’s work on these timepieces and their lasting impact on navigation.
The Meridian Building
In the Meridian Building, members encountered the different meridians established at the observatory over time - from Halley’s, to Bradley’s, to Airy’s, which in 1851 became the international standard for zero degrees longitude. The building’s displays showed Greenwich’s role in establishing global standards for time and navigation.
The Great Equatorial Telescope
Our final stop was the Great Equatorial Telescope. Due to access restrictions, we gathered in the courtyard below the dome. Here, members heard about the telescope’s 28-inch refractor, installed in 1893 on an equatorial mount designed by George Airy, and its use in double-star observations. I also explained the story of the Flamsteed “Well Telescope,” designed to measure stellar parallax by looking up through a 100-foot well shaft. Unfortunately, damp conditions and technical issues meant it was never fully functional.
With any luck, Flamsteed members came away with a few new insights, a better sense of the Royal Observatory’s history - and perhaps even a story or two to tell under the next clear night sky!
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