Royal Museums Greenwich

A photo history of the 28-inch telescope

Please note: due to essential maintenance work, the 28-inch Telescope Dome and the 28-inch Greenwich refracting telescope will be closed until late June 2012.

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Please contact the Museum's Picture Library if you wish to reproduce these pictures.

Construction of the Great Equatorial Building, October 1857 (B466) The drum dome (A9217B) The telescope tube at the Optical and Mechanical Works, Rathmines, Ireland, c. 1890 Erection of the 28-inch Dome, 16 Dec 1892 - 25 April 1893 (B5698A) E.W. Maunder (at the eyepiece) and W. Bowyer observing with the half-prism spectroscope, c. 1894 (B5698D) The original 'onion dome' (A1728) Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Observatory, 1925 (B322) War damage, 1944 (B5698F) The dome, showing war damage, after the removal of the 28-inch, c. 1950 (B7124) Removing the telescope from Herstmonceaux, 1971 (B5885/11) Removing the telescope from Herstmonceaux, 1971 (B5885/11) The telescope is lowered into the Equatorial Building, 1971 (B5887/23) Astronomers watch as the telescope is lowered back into the building, 1971 (B5888/35) Sightseers at the telescope's return in October 1971 (B5887/15) The Equatorial Building prior to restoration! 1971 (B5889/36a) Returning the telescope to Greenwich, 1971 (B5887/36) Putting the telescope mount in place, 1971 (B5890/5) The new dome being lowered onto the Observatory, c. 1972 (B8471/18) The new dome being lowered onto the Observatory, c. 1972 (B8471/20) The telescope back in use in the 1970's (D887a)

First published: 19 Jun 2002 Author: ROG learning team

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