The Godlee Observatory is an old astronomical observatory located in a tower on the roof of the University of Manchester's Sackville Street Building, G floor (formerly UMIST Main Building), in the City Centre of Manchester, England. It was given to the city of Manchester by Francis Godlee when construction was completed in 1902.[1] The dome is constructed out of papier-mâché and is reached by an Edwardian era wrought iron staircase and a trap door.[2]
Godlee Observatory is home to two original telescopes made by Grubb of Dublin: a Newtonian telescope that uses a concave primary mirror and a flat diagonal secondary mirror, and a refracting telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image.[2] The observatory is operated by the Manchester Astronomical Society.[3]
As of November 2022, the Observatory is closed indefinitely due to redevelopment work on the North Campus of the University of Manchester.[4][3]
References
- ^ "The moon, the stars and the Godlee". BBC News. 20 July 2009.
- ^ a b "The hidden Manchester star gazing observatory with a papier-mache roof". The Manc. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Manchester Astronomical Society". Manastro.org. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ "Godlee Observatory (closed for redevelopment)". Go Stargazing. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
External links
- On-line Tour of the Godlee Observatory
- The Manchester Astronomical Society
- Francis Godlee
- Sackville Street Building
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