An Astronomical Adventure Story by Professor Michael Burton
21 November @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
William Herschel’s discovery of Uranus in 1781 – the first new planet found by humanity since antiquity – had many consequences. It made Herschel famous overnight, changed our conception of the cosmos and was a driver for the enlightenment.
One of these consequences was the founding of an observatory in Armagh by Richard Robinson, Archbishop of Armagh who knew Herschel personally. A century later the famous New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars (the NGC) was compiled in Armagh by its then Director, John Dreyer. Another consequence was the building of the great telescope at Birr Castle in County Offaly in Ireland by William Parsons, the 3rd Earl of Ross. The “Leviathan” was the largest telescope in the World for over 70 years and observed the spiral nature of galaxies.
The three historic observatories of Ireland – Armagh, Birr and Dunsink (Dublin) – whose astronomers have worked closely together from their foundations – all have ambitious plan for the future and are asking how they might mark the 250th anniversary of the discovery of Uranus in Bath on 13th March 2031.
Bath, Bath & North East Somerset BA1 2HN United Kingdom + Google Map 01225 312084
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