Now that the smog is up, astronomy returns to the Royal Observatory of London | Smart news

For 300 years, the Royal Observatory of Greenwich Park in London was the center of the scientific world, in some cases literally – the Prime Meridian, the 0-degree line of longitude dividing the eastern and western hemispheres, runs through # 39; Observatory. But in 1957, because of London's terrible smog problem, the Observatory and its telescope settled in a Susbad castle, leaving the original building behind it as a museum and educational center. But now, Sofie Werthan's relationship to Slate astronomy has returned to the venerable Observatory after a sixty-year hiatus.

Sarah Knapton at The Telegraph reports that the Observatory recently renovated the Altazimuth Pavilion and installed a new telescope called the Astronomical Telescope Annie Maunder (AMAT), named in honor of the first woman to work on the site. Annie Maunder first served as one of the "Lady Computers", performing calculations and other data badysis for the Royal Astronomer. In 1895, she married the astronomer Edward Walter Maunder and was forced to abandon his calculator job. However, that did not stop his pbadion for astronomy. She and her husband have meticulously documented the activity of sunspots and have been able to correlate it to weather events on Earth. She even invented a new camera to take solar photos, documenting the first solar flares ever recorded.

The AMAT is not likely to be as revolutionary as its namesake, although it is a sophisticated telescope. Most high-end telescopes today are multi-million dollar behemoths placed on remote mountain peaks, not in busy cities. But astronomer Brendan Owens tells Knapton that despite the light pollution of London sprawl, the AMAT view will be pretty good. "Urban astronomy has come a long way, and we have to thank amateur astronomers for a lot of developments that have allowed us to do that," he says. "We now have filters that completely block the wavelengths of light from things like street lights and instead focus on the hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur dioxide that come from the stars and In addition to the greatly enlarged images of the sun and moon, we have a cooled digital camera to take very wide views of the sky so we can see nebulae and galaxies. "

Ian Sample at The Guardian that the observations will support research in astronomy and that the images of the telescope will be broadcast live in schools and the nearby planetarium. But it will take volunteers who will manage the range and, more importantly, work the pulleys and ropes needed to rotate the dome of the observatory. Finally, the dome will be automated to protect volunteers against rope burns.

The return of astronomy to the Observatory is a symbolic continuation of the UK's scientific heritage. In 1675, by order of King Charles II, the builders began to convert the ruins of Greenwich Castle, located in the Royal Greenwich Park, into an observatory under the direction of a commission of outstanding scientists, including Sir Christopher Wren , astronomer and renowned architect. The Observatory was the first publicly funded scientific institution in the United Kingdom

. The idea was that by meticulously observing and mapping the stars, the British could improve their ability to navigate at sea. They accomplished this mission, and the Observatory also worked to develop accurate clocks. , a major component in navigation and longitude calculation, which helped mariners determine their overall position.

According to the Observatory, and the air filled with coal smoke and soot, it was obvious that telescopes could not stay in the city. A planned move in the first half of the 20th century was delayed by World War II, but in 1957, the Observatory officially relocated its telescopes to Herstmonceaux Castle in Susbad and the Observatory of Greenwich has become a museum. In 1948, Greenwich expanded, and Greenwich Power Station vomited smoke and telescopes became useless, "says Louise Devoy, curator of the Royal Observatory of Greenwich, Knapton. "They used to do magnetic and meteorological readings from here, but railroads and steel-frame buildings interfered with train signals and vibrations made precision impossible." With the new telescope we can use filters and software to handle everything. "

An example of a report that the renovated Altazimuth Pavilion will be reopened to the public in August and includes floor-level displays that speak to Annie. and Walter Maunder, the AMAT scope will only be accessible to the public during special events.

Do you like this article?
SIGN UP to our Newsletter