Radcliffe Observatory was the

astronomical observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Hi ...

of the University of Oxford from 1773 until 1934, when the Radcliffe Trustees sold it and built a new observatory in Pretoria, South Africa. It is a Grade I listed building. Today, the observatory forms a part of

Green Templeton College Green Templeton College (GTC) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The college is located on the previous Green College site on Woodstock Road next to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter in North Oxford and ...

of the University of Oxford.

History

Top of Radcliffe Observatory, Green Templeton College, Oxford

The observatory was founded and named after John Radcliffe by the Radcliffe Trustees. It was built on the suggestion of the astronomer

Thomas Hornsby Thomas Hornsby (1733 in Durham – 11 April 1810 in Oxford) was a British astronomer and mathematician. Life Hornsby became a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1760. He occupied the Savilian Chair of Astronomy at Oxford University f ...

, who was occupying the Savilian Chair of Astronomy, following his observation of the notable transit of Venus across the sun's disc in 1769 from a room in the nearby Radcliffe Infirmary. The observatory building commenced to designs by Henry Keene in 1772, and was completed in 1794 to the designs of James Wyatt, with a prominent octagonal tower based on the Tower of the Winds in Athens. Its tower is topped with a statue by John Bacon of

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographi ...

holding up the World. Until 1839, the Savilian Chair of Astronomy was responsible for the observatory. At this date the appointment of

George Henry Sacheverell Johnson George Henry Sacheverell Johnson FRS (1808 – 5 November 1881) was a British clergyman and academic who was Dean of Wells and a professor at the University of Oxford. Life and career Johnson studied at The Queen's College, Oxford, winning a coll ...

an astronomer with no observational experience caused the creation of the new role of Radcliffe Observer. Because of the viewing conditions, weather, urban development and light pollution at Oxford, the observatory moved to South Africa in 1939. Eventually that site, in Pretoria, also became untenable and the facility was combined with others into the

South African Astronomical Observatory South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is the national centre for optical and infrared astronomy in South Africa. It was established in 1972. The observatory is run by the National Research Foundation of South Africa. The facility's funct ...

(SAAO) in the 1970s. The building is now used by

off the Woodstock Road and is a centrepiece of the college. The original instruments are now in the

Museum of the History of Science, Oxford The History of Science Museum in Broad Street, Oxford, England, holds a leading collection of scientific instruments from Middle Ages to the 19th century. The museum building is also known as the Old Ashmolean Building to distinguish it from th ...

, except for the Radcliffe 18/24-inch Twin Refractor telescope, which was transferred to the

University of London Observatory UCL Observatory (called the University of London Observatory until 2015) at Mill Hill in London is an astronomical teaching observatory. It is part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University College London. History The Observator ...

Radcliffe telescope, University of London Observatory

Radcliffe Observers

The following have been Radcliffe Observers: * 1839

Manuel John Johnson Manuel John Johnson, FRS (23 May 1805 – 28 February 1859) was a British astronomer. He was born in Macao, China, the son of John William Roberts of the East India Company and was educated at Mr Styles' Classical Academy in Thames Ditton and at ...

* 1860

Robert Main The Reverend Robert Main (12 July 1808 – 9 May 1878) was an English astronomer. Life Born at Upnor in Kent, he was the eldest son of Thomas Main; Thomas John Main the mathematician was a younger brother. Robert Main attended school in ...

* 1879 Edward James Stone * 1897 Arthur Alcock Rambaut * 1924

Harold Knox-Shaw Harold Knox-Shaw (12 October 1885 – 11 April 1970) was an English astronomer. He was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex. He was the oldest of four siblings. During his youth he earned scholarships to Wellington College in Berkshire and t ...

* 1950 David Thackeray

Gallery

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1772 establishments in England Astronomical observatories in England Astronomical observatories in South Africa Buildings and structures of the University of Oxford Departments of the University of Oxford Grade I listed buildings in Oxford Grade I listed scientific buildings Green Templeton College, Oxford Infrastructure completed in 1794 Towers completed in 1794 Towers in Oxford James Wyatt buildings Defunct astronomical observatories

History

Radcliffe Observers

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links