Essential Information
| Type | Talks and tours |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Date and Times | Thursday 5 December 2024 | 7-8.30pm |
| Prices | £20 Adults |
| £10 for Members (Limited free tickets are now sold out) . Not a member? Join now |
Delve deeper into our collection of more than 2.5 million objects on our specialist tours and talks series, led by one of our expert curators, researchers or conservators.
The Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre is home to Royal Museums Greenwich's stored collections and state-of-the-art conservation studios. Since the development of our new collections centre in 2018, we are able to share our hidden treasures with the public, and showcase the skills and expertise of our conservation and storage teams.
Our specialist tours and talks will be centred around a different theme or topic each time – find out more about the talks on offer below.
Please note the limited free tickets for members have now sold out. Members can still purchase tickets for this event for £10.
Event programme
Remembering the Transit of Venus expedition of 1874
Thursday 5 December 2024, 7 - 8.30pm
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 the 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, with astronomer Gregory Brown, who 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.
Book tickets (select 5 December using the calendar)
Plan your visit
Where will the tours 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
What’s On
Find more events at the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre.
Visit the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
The state-of-the-art conservation studio and storage centre