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Maclear's Beacon is a 
triangulation station
A triangulation station, also known as a trigonometrical point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity.
The station is usually set up by a map ...
used in Maclear's arc measurement for Earth's circumference determination.
The beacon is situated on top of Table Mountain
Table Mountain (; ) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa.
It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, cableway or hik ...
in Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, South Africa. It is situated on the Eastern end on the plateau of the mountain, roughly 3km from the Cable Car Station.
The beacon is above sea level, higher than the upper cable car station. The structure consists of man made rock packed in a triangle form, being high. It was painted in lamp black
Carbon black (with subtypes acetylene black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black and thermal black) is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of coal tar, vegetable matter, or petroleum products, including fuel oil, fluid catalyti ...
colour to make it visible, when light shown on it.
In December 1844, the Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the astronomer royal dating from 22 June 1675; the junior is the astronomer royal for Scotland dating from 1834. The Astro ...
at the Cape
A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used th ...
, Thomas Maclear
Thomas Maclear (17 March 1794 – 14 July 1879) was an Ireland, Irish-born Cape Colony astronomer who became Her Majesty's astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope.
Early life
Born on 17 March 1794, in Newtownstewart, the eldest son of Rev. James ...
, instructed his assistant William Mann to build a beacon in the form of a pile of rocks which would be used to confirm and possibly expand on the existing curvature of the Earth data of Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille
Abbé Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille (; 15 March 171321 March 1762), formerly sometimes spelled de la Caille, was a kingdom of France, French astronomer and geodesist who named 14 out of the IAU designated constellations, 88 constellations. From 1750 ...
. This data was in connection with the Cape arc of the meridian. Initially the beacon had no name but in later years it was named after Maclear.
In 1929, the pile of stones collapsed and it was restored in 1979 to commemorate the centenary of Maclear's death.
The beacon is still used by cartographers today. It has become a tourist attraction and hiking trails over the mountain pass next to the beacon. It is also a National Monument.
References
External links
* 1844 in South Africa Buildings and structures completed in 1844 Buildings and structures in Cape Town Geodesy Geomatics 19th-century architecture in South Africa {{geodesy-stub