Coats Observatory, Paisley
Encyclopedia
Coats Observatory is one of four public observatories operating in the UK, all of which are sited in Scotland
.
Coats Observatory is located in Oakshaw Street West, Paisley
and was designed by Glasgow
architect John Honeyman, with funding coming from local thread manufacturer Thomas Coats
. The observatory was operated by the Paisley Philosophical Institution, which had been founded on 8 October 1808. The design incorporated many impressive features of Victorian architecture
including wrought iron work from the Saracen Foundry
in Possilpark
, Glasgow, carvings by John Young and stained glass windows featuring Galileo, Kepler and William Herschel
.
The building opened to the public on October 1st 1883. The first telescope was a five inch refractor built by Thomas Cooke
of York. Other equipment included an orrery
, spectroscope and a transit telescope. Meteorological recording was undertaken on a daily basis, and has continued uninterrupted to the present day.
In 1898 an additional ten inch refracting telescope was purchased, manufactured by Howard Grubb
of Dublin. This telescope is still in use at the observatory, as is the original Cooke telescope. That year also saw the addition of a pavilion to the rear of the observatory complex which housed additional astronomical and scientific apparatus and also seismic recording equipment. The pavilion went out of use circa 1930 and was demolished in 1969, but Coats Observatory continues to function as a seismic monitoring station for British Geological Survey
.
Management of the observatory was transferred to Paisley District Council in 1963 and is now operated by Renfrewshire Council.
Coats Observatory is open on a daily basis (except Monday) and runs evening viewing nights throughout the winter months. Renfrewshire Astronomical Society meet there on a Friday evening throughout the year.
.
Airdrie Public Observatory
.
Mills Observatory, Dundee
. The only full time public observatory.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Coats Observatory is located in Oakshaw Street West, Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
and was designed by Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
architect John Honeyman, with funding coming from local thread manufacturer Thomas Coats
Thomas Coats
Thomas Coats was a Scottish thread manufacturer.-Life:Coats was born at Paisley 18 October 1809. He was the fourth of a family of ten sons. His father, James Coats, was one of the founders of the thread industry of Paisley...
. The observatory was operated by the Paisley Philosophical Institution, which had been founded on 8 October 1808. The design incorporated many impressive features of Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
including wrought iron work from the Saracen Foundry
Saracen Foundry
The Saracen Foundry was the better known name for the Possilpark, Glasgow based foundry company W MacFarlane & Co. Ltd, founded and owned by Walter MacFarlane. Macfarlane's was the most important manufacturer of ornamental ironwork in Scotland....
in Possilpark
Possilpark
Possilpark is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow, situated north of the River Clyde. Following the closure of the Saracen Foundry in 1967, this section of Glasgow has become one of the poorest in the United Kingdom, with an above average crime rate....
, Glasgow, carvings by John Young and stained glass windows featuring Galileo, Kepler and William Herschel
William Herschel
Sir Frederick William Herschel, KH, FRS, German: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert, and composer. Born in Hanover, Wilhelm first followed his father into the Military Band of Hanover, but emigrated to Britain at age 19...
.
The building opened to the public on October 1st 1883. The first telescope was a five inch refractor built by Thomas Cooke
Thomas Cooke
This page is about the instrument maker. For other persons named Thomas Cooke, see Thomas CookeThomas Cooke was a British instrument maker based on York. He founded T. Cooke & Sons, the instrument company-Life:...
of York. Other equipment included an orrery
Orrery
An orrery is a mechanical device that illustrates the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons in the Solar System in a heliocentric model. Though the Greeks had working planetaria, the first orrery that was a planetarium of the modern era was produced in 1704, and one was presented...
, spectroscope and a transit telescope. Meteorological recording was undertaken on a daily basis, and has continued uninterrupted to the present day.
In 1898 an additional ten inch refracting telescope was purchased, manufactured by Howard Grubb
Howard Grubb
Sir Howard Grubb FRS was an optical designer from Dublin, Ireland. He was head of a family firm that made large optical telescopes, telescope drive controls, and other optical instruments...
of Dublin. This telescope is still in use at the observatory, as is the original Cooke telescope. That year also saw the addition of a pavilion to the rear of the observatory complex which housed additional astronomical and scientific apparatus and also seismic recording equipment. The pavilion went out of use circa 1930 and was demolished in 1969, but Coats Observatory continues to function as a seismic monitoring station for British Geological Survey
British Geological Survey
The British Geological Survey is a partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research. The BGS headquarters are in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, but other centres...
.
Management of the observatory was transferred to Paisley District Council in 1963 and is now operated by Renfrewshire Council.
Coats Observatory is open on a daily basis (except Monday) and runs evening viewing nights throughout the winter months. Renfrewshire Astronomical Society meet there on a Friday evening throughout the year.
Other Public Observatories
City Observatory, EdinburghCity Observatory, Edinburgh
The City Observatory is an astronomical observatory on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is also known as the Calton Hill Observatory....
.
Airdrie Public Observatory
Airdrie Public Observatory
Airdrie Public Observatory is in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The observatory is open to the public by request, and is housed in Airdrie Public Library...
.
Mills Observatory, Dundee
Mills Observatory
The Mills Observatory in Dundee, Scotland, is the only full-time public astronomical observatory in the UK . Built in 1935, the observatory is classically styled in sandstone and has a distinctive 7 m dome, which houses a Victorian refracting telescope, a small planetarium, and display areas...
. The only full time public observatory.