Judging by the length of the lines when we left, some people weren't getting in. Be warned as we were leaving we heard an announcement saying the observatory will be closing in 30 minutes. I can say, yes go to the Observatory, but be prepared for long lines, mosquitoes and volunteers with no authority. Some assertiveness with crowds needs to happen in this mess, and that usually only comes form paid employees. I know most of this area is managed by volunteers, but the volunteers have no uniform or anything showing they work there. Waits in line was over an hour long and we were there early. They were downstairs next to us when we purchased our stamp, they were actually in front of us in line. They were saying they didn't know they had to pay.blah, blah, blah. Lots did not have stamps and lots of people jumping lines, you know, "those people." One couple in front of us tried to lie their way into the largest housed telescope. There are volunteers at the three large telescopes looking at stamps, but no one to police any other access. We got there early and from the time we arrived until we left it wasn't too difficult to see this policy was not being enforced at all. You are told when buying access to the telescopes, "no one is allowed in the telescope are without a stamp." We were there for the telescopes, we purchased the stamp. Lack of Official staff presence and rule enforcement ruins the experience. I'm not going to talk about the heat and mosquitoes in June, just count on both of them being there and bring the Deep Woods OFF. Through the years, a number of objects from the King George III Collection have been loaned, sold, or lost, but the core elements and the most important instruments remain at the Observatory.We used to live in Houston and would frequent the George Observatory from time to time in the 90s. Another similar 2-ft brass telescope from the collection, likely by one of the Shorts – is currently on display at the Planetarium. The 6-inch reflector was likely begun by James Short, the more famous of the two brothers, but completed by Thomas after his brother’s death. These were used by King George III himself during the 1769 transit of Venus, and an identical Shelton clock (or regulator) was also used by Cook and Green in Tahiti. The most historically important instruments, however, are the 6-inch aperture, 2-ft length brass reflecting telescope by brothers James and Thomas Short, and the Mean Time Astronomical Clock by John Shelton. The Records of Harvard College Observatory Director George Phillips Bond, consisting of correspondence and subject files, manuscript drafts, and. This included building of the ‘Sector Tower’ in 1841 over part of the Transit Room for the Sisson Zenith Sector part of the donation from King’s Observatory. His Grace Lord John George Beresford, Archbishop of Armagh, and Director Romney Robinson made arrangements to receive the instruments. One of the other great beneficiaries, however, was Armagh Observatory. Much of the collection was gifted to King’s College London, which has since, in turn, loaned it to the Science Museum in London. Her Majesty Queen Victoria (reign: 1837–1901), granddaughter of King George III, had chosen to donate the scientific instruments from King’s Observatory in 1841. It was also King George III who signed the 1791 Act of Parliament establishing the Armagh Observatory. Captain (at that point Lieutenant) James Cook observed the same transit in Tahiti along with astronomer Charles Green, appointed by the Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne. ![]() The observatory was built for the occasion of the 1769 transit of Venus, which the king observed there, attended by King’s Astronomer Dr Stephen Charles Triboudet Demainbray, the royal family, and others. Its design influenced the architecture of both Dunsink and Armagh Observatories. ![]() The King’s Observatory, designed by architect Sir William Chambers, was built in Richmond, close to the modern Kew Gardens, in 1969. Herschel’s discovery was not the first sign of interest in astronomy by King George III, however. Hamilton, induced him to build an Observatory in Armagh, with Hamilton its first Director. It is thought likely that Archbishop Richard Robinson, a frequent visitor to Bath, had met with Herschel and that this acquaintance had, along with the enthusiasm of the Armagh priest and astronomer Rev. ![]() The king patronised Herschel for his work, and he in turn intended to name the planet ‘Georgium Sidus’ (George’s Star), or the ‘Georgian Planet’ in king’s honour. It is during the reign of His Majesty King George III (reign: 1760–1820) that Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus, the first planet to be discovered by aid of a telescope (in 1781).
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