Every month the team at the Prince Philip Maritime Collection Centre in Kidbrooke host a special tour inviting you to explore a specific theme or topic.
We've been lucky enough to secure a limited amount of free Member tickets for two of the upcoming tours. Check out the tours available below, and book here to secure your free place on the tour.
Please note that once free tickets have been allocated, Members can still book tour tickets for a discounted price of £10.
This event is suitable for those 18+
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Transit of Venus 1874
Thursday 5 December 2024, 7 - 8.30pm
Remembering the Transit of Venus expedition of 1874 .
On 9 December 1874, teams of observers waited anxiously at sites across the globe as they watched the tiny black dot of Venus appear to cross the Sun’s disc over the course of six hours.
They had already spent a year diligently practising with new telescopes and cameras at Royal Observatory Greenwich: would their efforts be rewarded with clear skies, and could they measure the scale of the Solar System from this rare celestial alignment?
Join us at the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre for an evening of discovery as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of this historic expedition by learning more about its scientific objectives and seeing first hand some of the surviving instruments. You’ll spend half of the session in our Learning Space, where an astronomer will explain the science and implications of Transit of Venus events, from our starting point in 1874 through to modern astronomy, in which scientists use similar events to learn more about planets orbiting around other stars.
For the remaining time, you’ll have a curator-led tour hosted by Louise Devoy, Senior Curator of the Royal Observatory, to see some of the telescopes and chronometers (accurate sea clocks) used by observers to pinpoint their location on the globe.
In addition, the 1874 Transit of Venus was the first such event since the invention of photography and submarine cable telegraphy: did these new technologies help or hinder the astronomers?
Come and join us to find out more.
Plan your visit
Where will the tour take place?
This tour will be held at The Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre, our state of the art conservation and collection centre in Kidbrooke.
Getting here
The Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre is a quick, easy journey from central London by rail or via local bus services.
Address: The Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre, Nelson Mandela Road, Kidbrooke, SE3 9QS
By train: You can reach us from central London via direct routes by Cannon Street London Bridge, Charing Cross and Victoria. Our nearest station is Kidbrooke which is only 5 minute walk away.
By bus: The following buses stop near the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre: 178, B16, 286, 132
By car: There is limited parking space in our car park but we will prioritise parking for visitors with disabilities. Please pre-book, otherwise we cannot guarantee a place. E-mail: ppmcc@rmg.co.uk
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