Mills Observatory
Encyclopedia
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 dome is one of two made from papier-mâché to survive in the UK, the other being at the Godlee Observatory
.
in 1871 by Thomas Cooke and the optical components are of the highest quality. The telescope is actually older than the building. The dome also houses a 0.3m (12 inch) Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, which was purchased in 2006. When the Mills Observatory opened on 28 October 1935 it originally housed a 450mm (18 inch) reflecting telescope, constructed by the Newcastle
based company of Grubb Parsons. The remains of the original telescope can be seen in the upper display area of the observatory. The dome itself is made of papier-mâché with a steel frame, and was also supplied by Grubb Parsons. Refracting telescopes have long been regarded as the superior instrument for planetary observing. During our winter evening hours, given clear sky conditions, the telescope is used to show the public the night sky.
New facilities since February 2004 include a small TV camera. A Meade
TV eyepiece, is attached to the telescope and the output is taken, through a small monitor
to a socket in the floor of the dome. An LCD projector is hooked up to a corresponding output socket on the side of the pier on the ground floor giving a live image of whatever the telescope happens to be looking at. Images are projected on the ground floor wall, which also allows disabled people to view the Moon
and planets from the comfort of the ground floor. Mills Observatory is also planning to develop a way of capturing and printing the images for visitors to take away with them.
, which simulates the night sky on a domed roof in a darkened room. Around 1000 star
s are displayed, along with the naked eye planets and the Milky Way
. Auxiliary units simulate a rotating galaxy
, and provide pictures of astronomical
objects. Seating is limited to 18 for public shows. However school classes of up to 45 primary school grade and 30 secondary school grade can be accommodated by arrangement using a temporary inflatable dome when necessary.
. The woods of Balgay Hill, surrounding the Observatory include Cypress
es, Redwood
s, Cedars
and Monkey Puzzles. Violets
and Wild Strawberries
can be found growing among the grass in season.
, is arranged to entertain and educate the exploring visitor. The planet trail is a series of standing stones and plaques representing the solar system. The visitor starts with the sun on the eastern summit of the Hill, and following the trail to the west from the Sun
, in the direction of Mills Observatory, he or she will encounter another eight rocks representing the planets Mercury
, Venus
, Earth
, Mars
, Jupiter
, Saturn
, Uranus
and Neptune
. Pluto
is represented by the pier in the Mills Observatory, which supports the telescope there.
(1806 – 1889), a manufacturer of Linen and twine in the city of Dundee
, and a keen amateur astronomer
. As a young man and a member of the Original Secession Kirk
, he had been greatly influenced by the Reverend Thomas Dick
, philosopher and author of a number of books on Astronomy
and Christian Philosophy
. Dr Dick attempted to harmonize science
and Religion
, and believed that the greatness of God could best be appreciated by the study of astronomy, to which he devoted his life after a period as an ordained minister at Methven
. He advocated that every city should have public parks, public libraries and a public observatory.
Mills built his own private observatory on the slopes of Dundee Law
, near what is now Adelaide Place. An old print still exists showing the ruins of the building minus its dome
. There would appear to have been, in addition to the main telescope, a transit room, and what was probably a study to record and write up his observations. The fact that he had a transit instrument signifies that he must have been doing timings of the passage of stars across the meridian
, and was not just a casual observer. One of John Mills' telescope is on display in the Visitor Centre attached to the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh
. It is a brass instrument manufactured by George Lowden, a Dundee instrument-maker of that period, who supplied Mills with a number of his instruments.
When Dundee Town Council received the bequest they were in something of a quandary. There was no precedent for any bequest of this nature, and their first thought was to offer the money to the University College
, Dundee, in the hope that they would be able to fulfil its terms. They, in turn, sought expert opinion from, among others, the Royal Greenwich Observatory, regarding the feasibility of such a project. The advice they received envisaged that only very limited public access would be possible. Evidently the College decided that the project did not fit into their plans, so they declined the offer. A Trust was then set up with the Town Council, and plans were drawn up to build the Observatory on the summit of Dundee Law. However, the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 put the whole project in pause, and the site it was intended to occupy was instead reserved for the War Memorial
, which was erected after the end of hostilities. No further progress was made during the 1920s.
The onset of the Depression
in the 1930s caused the matter to be raised once again, since it was felt that the project would provide much-needed work for the depressed building industry. Professor Sampson
, Astronomer Royal
for Scotland, was brought in as consultant. After examining several sites he came down strongly in favour of Balgay Hill
as being by far the most suitable site, both in terms of astronomical suitability and for public access. This decision has stood the test of time, since other observatories have had their seeing conditions ruined by sodium lighting and other forms of modern pollution. The concept of a public observatory is, in a way, a contradiction in terms, since by definition, an observatory should be as far away from the public as possible. Most of the modern research observatories are situated on mountain-tops or desert areas. However, the geography of Dundee is unique, in that it has Balgay Hill overlooking a river estuary, protected from the main lights of the city by trees which also help to provide a purer atmosphere, and at the same time very accessible to the public. Something like 40% of all nights are observable.
Professor Sampson
collaborated with James MacLellan Brown
, the City Architect, in designing a much more modern building than the one originally planned before the war. The structure is of sandstone blocks quarried from Leoch, near Rosemill. The Observatory was formally opened by Professor Sampson on October 28, 1935, and presented to the Town Council by Mr. Milne of the Mills Trust in the presence of Lord Provost Buist. A message of congratulation was sent by the Astronomer Royal at Greenwich, Sir H. Spencer Jones. Articles on current celestial objects were written in the local press by the Reverend John Lees, who usually acted as chairman at public lectures given at the Observatory by visiting astronomers.
The first Curator
was J. Grant Bruce F.R.A.S., an instrument-maker from Newport
, Fife
. This was a part-time post, with a small salary. A full-time caretaker, George Dorward, was also appointed. Hours of opening were fixed, with special arrangements for visiting parties, and for qualified persons at other times. In the winter evenings, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays were for the public, with Tuesdays and Thursdays reserved for private booked parties. During the day and throughout the summer, visitors could view the scenery from the balcony, using two four-inch (102 mm) Turret telescopes by Ross, suitable for terrestrial viewing. These were excellent telescopes, also very suitable for wide-field, low-power astronomical work. Unfortunately these are no longer functioning and only parts of one remain.
In the dome, the original telescope given by the Mills Trust was an l8-inch ( 45 cm.) Newtonian reflector
by Grubb Parsons, electrically driven. The dome itself, also built by Grubb, is hand-operated and made of papier-mâché
on a framework of steel. The only part of the dome which has had to be replaced over the years is the shutter, where the papier-mâché perished and marine plywood was substituted. The l8-inch telescope was rarely used at full aperture, due to its tendency to be affected by reflections from street lights caused by the open lattice-work tube.
One of the problems that restricted the astronomical work of the Observatory during this period was that Balgay Park
was enclosed, and the gates were locked at dusk. Special arrangements had to be made with the Parks Department to have a gatekeeper on duty during the nights when the telescope was in use, and for him to supervise entry and exit of public and cars, and ensure no-one was left in the park after the observatory was locked up. This meant that all children had to be accompanied by an adult. For this reason the Council placed the Observatory under the administrative control of the Parks Superintendent, under whom it remained until reorganisation brought a transfer to the Museum
s Department. The railings were removed during the War, since when the park has had "open access." During the years 1935 to 1939 there was one staff change - Mr. Dorward retired and was succeeded by Mr. McDonald. Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War the Observatory was closed for the duration and the staff re-deployed to work of more immediate national importance. After the war, when the Observatory re-opened, the 18 inches (457.2 mm) telescope underwent a radical transformation. Professor E. Finlay Freundlich
of St. Andrews University, together with his colleagues R. Waland, W. Threadgill and Curator Bruce, were planning the half-scale pilot model of the 37-inch (95 cm) Schmidt Cassegrain reflecting telescope
now installed in the James Gregory
building at St. Andrews. This was of a much more advanced design than the standard Schmidt telescopes
then in use. The Americans were also working on a similar design and the St. Andrews team were keen to be the first to have it in operation.
The problem was that they did not have a suitable mounting available in St. Andrews for the 19-inch (48 cm.) pilot model. They became interested in the Mills Observatory's Newtonian telescope
as its mounting appeared ideally suited for their purpose. Permission was given by the Town Council for the Newtonian to be removed and the new instrument built in its place, on the assurance that:
"this would give Dundee a much superior instrument for direct public observation as the pilot instrument would be left permanently mounted in Dundee and available for public use."
During the next three years the telescope room was closed to the public while the work proceeded. Only the balcony was available and observations were carried out with small instruments. The telescope was completed in 1950 and described as "the first of its kind in the world." Unfortunately, it was purely for photographic work, which rather contradicted the above assurance.
However, matters took a different course. The expansion of the city north and west and the development of sodium
and mercury
street-lighting hampered the work of stellar
photography
, so in February, 1951 Bruce and Professor Freundlich suggested that the pilot telescope be transferred to St. Andrews University Observatory, eleven miles (18 km) to the south, for better conditions and proximity to the workshops. The Mills would then receive in exchange the 10-inch (25 cm.) Cooke refracting telescope formerly used as a student training instrument and now surplus to requirements. At first the Town Council refused, and there was much correspondence in the local press, and indignation among local amateurs, that the University should interfere with the affairs of a public institution. Professor W.H.M. Greaves, had succeeded Professor Sampson as Astronomer Royal
for Scotland
, was called upon to advise on the matter. In view of the scientific benefits of the move, and lack of interest shown by University College, Dundee
, he recommended that the transfer take place. This was done at the University's expense, and on the understanding that the two telescopes were on mutual loan.
The 10 inches (254 mm) refractor had to be modified slightly to fit the Mills dome, and the dew-cap cannot safely be used. However, it proved to be a much superior instrument for public viewing to the old Newtonian reflector
. Originally built in 1871 it was, at one time, privately owned by Walter Goodacre
, president of the British Astronomical Association
(B. A. A. ), who lived in the village of Four Marks
, near Winchester
. The telescope was used there by many famous amateurs involved in the work of the B. A. A. and was always described by them as "the excellent 10-inch Cooke refractor". It is particularly good for observing fine lunar and planetary detail and although not basically designed for photographic work, the lens is so good that, with modern cameras, good photographs can be taken. The Observatory has also acquired a number of smaller telescopes over the years.
Sometime after the Cooke telescope was installed, Curator Bruce died. In the autumn of 1952, the Observatory resumed its public functions under a new Curator
, Jaroslav Císař D. Sc., F.R.A.S., a research astronomer at St. Andrews
Dr. Císař, from Czechoslovakia
, soon aroused interest by his popular courses in Astronomy at the adult education
classes and encouraged young amateurs, including a number who became active in the Dundee Astronomical Society (D. A . S.), which was formed a few years later. He and A.S. Dow, Superintendent of the Parks Department, allowed the Society the use of the
lecture-room of the Observatory for meetings. Dr. Císař, because of his St. Andrews commitments, could only devote a limited time to working at the Mills Observatory. In view of this, one of the keenest of the local amateurs, Harry Ford, a technician at Queen's College, became his assistant, and acted as Curator in Dr. Císař's absence. When eventually Dr. Cisar retired he recommended that Mr. Ford be appointed as his successor. This was agreed to by the Council so Ford took up his duties in 1967, first of all on a part-time basis, but eventually on a full-time contract. He was accordingly the first full-time Curator of the Mills Observatory in 1972. This meant that the Observatory could, for the first time, operate on a full-time basis. The D.A.S. became involved in work of the Observatory with the stimulation and encouragement given by Ford, who had inaugurated a programme for the instruction of the public using visual aids and experimental techniques. He also built up interest by excellent public relations work, so that the Observatory attracted attention throughout the world of Amateur astronomy
. A number of exhibitions and “Open Days" were held at which the work of the local amateurs was exhibited.
Ford also organised displays of the work of the Observatory and the local Society at the B.A.A.’s Exhibition Meetings in London
, which excited great interest among the assembled amateurs, and resulted in many of them making a special journey to Dundee
during their holidays. Dr. Patrick Moore
, well known TV and Radio
personality, praised the work of the Observatory as being "quite unique in his experience." He himself has visited the Observatory on a number of occasions. The period from 1971 to 1977 was a particularly fruitful one in the history of the Observatory. This was the period of the great upsurge of interest due to the space spectaculars of the USSR and USA, culminating in the Apollo missions
to the Moon
. In July 1969, during the period of the Apollo 11
landing on the Moon, the Observatory witnessed the largest gathering of people in its history, when a colour TV
was installed in the lecture-room giving full coverage of the mission, interspersed with talks, slide-shows, and an exhibition, stewarded by members of the D.A.S.
Another significant event which stimulated local press interest was the expedition by Messrs. Ford, M. Findlay and D. Taylor to observe the 1973 total solar eclipse
off the coast of Mauretania
, as part of the B. A . A . organised cruise on the ship "Monte Umbe", covered for the B.B.C
by Patrick Moore
and shown on his "Sky at Night" programme on television. The photographs obtained as a result of this trip form an important part of the Observatory archives.
In 1971, a meeting of Scottish Astronomical Societies was held in the Observatory, and a civic reception given to the delegates from all parts of Scotland
. This was to be the first of a series of important meetings hosted by the Observatory. Possibly the greatest highlight of this entire period was the "Out of London“ meeting of the B. A. A. held on September 25, 1975 at the University of Dundee
, which was organised by Harry Ford and the D.A.S., followed by a Public Lecture at night given by Patrick Moore
on the subject of Mars
. This attracted such a wide interest that the hall was packed to overflowing and many had to be turned away.
The Lunar
Section of the B.A.A. met at the Mills Observatory on a number of occasions. At one such meeting in June 1972, Patrick Moore presented to the Observatory the original manuscript of Walter Goodacre’s
observations of the Moon
made with the 10 inches (254 mm) refractor, when it was in his ownership, saying that it was only fitting that the manuscript
should be where the telescope
was.
Harry Ford succeeded Patrick Moore as Director of the B.A.A. Lunar Section in 1976, with Findlay and Taylor as co-ordinators. Most of the work was carried out by local members of the Section, with the co-operation of the Museum
s Department. However, in November 1977, due to pressure of work, Ford resigned his Directorship.
During this period also the public work of the Observatory received a great boost, with many more visitors and parties of children and adults. Particular use of the facilities was made by school classes and youth groups. Ford extended the Observatory's displays by construction of many models including various space-crafts
. He was also responsible for an important addition to the Observatory's facilities, namely the 12-seat Planetarium
or artificial sky, which he built himself from various oddments, and which proved a great attraction in its own right, particularly for the younger visitors, and for school parties. Although it has now been supplemented by a commercially-made planetarium which can accommodate larger parties, Ford's original planetarium is still used regularly for small groups of visitors. Dick Kennedy, the longest-serving caretaker of the Observatory, who began after McDonald left in the 1950s and continued until his retirement in 1973. He was succeeded as caretaker by Jim Richardson, who retired the following year.
From then on the post was combined with that of Assistant to the Curator
, and Thomas Flood took over that position. In February 1982, due to domestic circumstances, Ford resigned from his post as Curator and moved south. During his period Thomas Flood served as the Curator,latterly re-designated as City Astronomer. Ford was succeeded in October of that year by the present City Astronomer, Dr. Fiona Vincent, a research astronomer from St. Andrews. Thomas Flood retired later that same year and Gary Hannan, A former member of the D.A.S., took over astronomer's Assistant in February 1983.
The 1982–1983 season was memorable in that the D. A . S . Winter lectures included one by the current Director of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh
, and Astronomer Royal
for Scotland
, Malcolm Longair
, a native of Dundee
. Dr. Patrick Moore also paid another visit to the Observatory in connection h a highly successful meeting of Scottish societies affiliated to the B.A.A., hosted by the Dundee society - one of a continuing series of astronomical meetings held at the Observatory.
The following year saw the inauguration of great changes at the Observatory, the net result of which improved the structure and facilities in a marked way the installation of central heating
, the re-surfacing of the balcony, the general redecoration of the whole building, and the upgrading of the lecture-room to an audio-visual theatre with carpeted flooring. This, together with the development of the display area and sales section, was made possible by a grant from the Scottish Tourist Board, and meant the greatest upheaval since the Observatory was built. Despite this the work of the Observatory continued uninterrupted and indeed it hosted a record number of booked parties and casual visitors, a tribute to the efforts of the Astronomer and her Assistant.
The social high point of 1984 for the Observatory occurred on June 21, with the official opening of the new improved facilities by Dr. Patrick Moore
in the presence of the Lord Provost
, civic dignitaries, the Curator of Museums, Adam Ritchie, members of the Museums staff and invited guests. In his speech Dr. Moore predicted that in the future, as in the past, the Mills Observatory would play a great part in the furtherance of amateur astronomy
in Britain
, and inspire some to take up astronomy
as a career.
, rock and mineral, books, posters, sweets and a huge selection of other desirable objects. Telescopes are also available from the observatory shop. These are the Skywatcher 114 mm and 60 mm refractor telescopes.
October-March
.
Coats Observatory, Paisley
.
Airdrie Public Observatory
.
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Scotland
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...
, 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
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
refracting telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
, a small planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
, and display areas. The dome is one of two made from papier-mâché to survive in the UK, the other being at the Godlee Observatory
Godlee Observatory
The Godlee Observatory is an old astronomical observatory located in a tower on the roof of the University of Manchester's Sackville Street building , in the City Centre of Manchester, England. It was gifted to the city of Manchester by Francis Godlee when construction was completed in 1902...
.
Telescopes
The main telescope is a Victorian 0.25m (10 inch) Cooke refractor, with a focal length of 3.75 m. It was made in YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in 1871 by Thomas Cooke and the optical components are of the highest quality. The telescope is actually older than the building. The dome also houses a 0.3m (12 inch) Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, which was purchased in 2006. When the Mills Observatory opened on 28 October 1935 it originally housed a 450mm (18 inch) reflecting telescope, constructed by the Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
based company of Grubb Parsons. The remains of the original telescope can be seen in the upper display area of the observatory. The dome itself is made of papier-mâché with a steel frame, and was also supplied by Grubb Parsons. Refracting telescopes have long been regarded as the superior instrument for planetary observing. During our winter evening hours, given clear sky conditions, the telescope is used to show the public the night sky.
New facilities since February 2004 include a small TV camera. A Meade
Meade
Meade Instruments Corporation is a multinational company headquartered in Irvine, California, that manufactures, imports, and distributes telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, CCD cameras and telescope accessories for the consumer market. It is the world's largest manufacturer of...
TV eyepiece, is attached to the telescope and the output is taken, through a small monitor
Video monitor
A video monitor also called a broadcast monitor, broadcast reference monitor or just reference monitor, is a display device similar to a television set, used to monitor the output of a video-generating device, such as playout from a video server, IRD, video camera, VCR, or DVD player. It may or...
to a socket in the floor of the dome. An LCD projector is hooked up to a corresponding output socket on the side of the pier on the ground floor giving a live image of whatever the telescope happens to be looking at. Images are projected on the ground floor wall, which also allows disabled people to view the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
and planets from the comfort of the ground floor. Mills Observatory is also planning to develop a way of capturing and printing the images for visitors to take away with them.
Planetarium
The planetarium is based around a Viewlex Apollo projectorImage projector
An image projector is an optical device that projects an image onto a surface, commonly a projection screen.Most projectors creates an image by shining a light through a small transparent image, but some newer types of projectors can project the image directly, by using lasers...
, which simulates the night sky on a domed roof in a darkened room. Around 1000 star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s are displayed, along with the naked eye planets and the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
. Auxiliary units simulate a rotating galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
, and provide pictures of astronomical
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
objects. Seating is limited to 18 for public shows. However school classes of up to 45 primary school grade and 30 secondary school grade can be accommodated by arrangement using a temporary inflatable dome when necessary.
Display Area
The display area is split into two parts. The main area in the centre of the building at ground floor level provides changing displays of pictures and models, and also houses the observatory shop. The upper level provides displays of historic equipment and information of local importance.Balgay Hill
Mills Observatory is built upon the summit of the wooded Balgay Hill, in Balgay Park, one mile (1.6 km) west of Dundee City CentreCity Centre, Dundee
Until the industrial revolution the current City Centre represented the full extent of the City of Dundee. Now roughly encircled by the Marketgait dual carriageway, the city centre is now the main shopping and commercial district...
. The woods of Balgay Hill, surrounding the Observatory include Cypress
Cypress
Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
es, Redwood
Redwood
-Trees:Conifers* Family Cupressaceae *** Sequoia sempervirens - coast redwood**** Albino redwood*** Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia*** Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood* Family Pinaceae...
s, Cedars
Cedar wood
Cedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...
and Monkey Puzzles. Violets
Violet (plant)
Viola is a genus of flowering plants in the violet family Violaceae, with around 400–500 species distributed around the world. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere; however, viola species are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes in...
and Wild Strawberries
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
can be found growing among the grass in season.
Planet Trail
On Balgay Hill, an outdoor planet trail, scale model of the solar systemSolar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, is arranged to entertain and educate the exploring visitor. The planet trail is a series of standing stones and plaques representing the solar system. The visitor starts with the sun on the eastern summit of the Hill, and following the trail to the west from the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, in the direction of Mills Observatory, he or she will encounter another eight rocks representing the planets Mercury
Mercury (planet)
Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
, Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
, Uranus
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus , the father of Cronus and grandfather of Zeus...
and Neptune
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times...
. Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
is represented by the pier in the Mills Observatory, which supports the telescope there.
History
The history of the observatory starts with John MillsJohn Mills
Sir John Mills CBE , born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills, was an English actor who made more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades.-Life and career:...
(1806 – 1889), a manufacturer of Linen and twine in the city of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, and a keen amateur astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
. As a young man and a member of the Original Secession Kirk
Kirk
Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Basic meaning and etymology:...
, he had been greatly influenced by the Reverend Thomas Dick
Thomas Dick
Reverend Thomas Dick , was a Scottish church minister, science teacher and writer, known for his works on astronomy and practical philosophy, combining science and Christianity, and defusing the tension between the two.-Early life:Thomas was brought up in the strict tenets of the presbyterian...
, philosopher and author of a number of books on Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and Christian Philosophy
Christian philosophy
Christian philosophy may refer to any development in philosophy that is characterised by coming from a Christian tradition.- Origins of Christian philosophy :...
. Dr Dick attempted to harmonize science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and Religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, and believed that the greatness of God could best be appreciated by the study of astronomy, to which he devoted his life after a period as an ordained minister at Methven
Methven, Perth and Kinross
Methven is a large village in the Scottish region of Perth and Kinross, on the A85 road due west of the town of Perth. Methven is close to another Perthshire village, Almondbank...
. He advocated that every city should have public parks, public libraries and a public observatory.
Law, Dundee
Law, Dundee is an area located in the centre of Dundee, Scotland. Its predominant feature is an extinct volcano which gives it its name.-Geology:...
, near what is now Adelaide Place. An old print still exists showing the ruins of the building minus its dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
. There would appear to have been, in addition to the main telescope, a transit room, and what was probably a study to record and write up his observations. The fact that he had a transit instrument signifies that he must have been doing timings of the passage of stars across the meridian
Meridian (astronomy)
This article is about the astronomical concept. For other uses of the word, see Meridian.In the sky, a meridian is an imaginary great circle on the celestial sphere. It passes through the north point on the horizon, through the celestial pole, up to the zenith, through the south point on the...
, and was not just a casual observer. One of John Mills' telescope is on display in the Visitor Centre attached to the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh
Royal Observatory, Edinburgh
The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh is an astronomical institution located on Blackford Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland. The site is owned by the Science and Technology Facilities Council...
. It is a brass instrument manufactured by George Lowden, a Dundee instrument-maker of that period, who supplied Mills with a number of his instruments.
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
, Dundee, in the hope that they would be able to fulfil its terms. They, in turn, sought expert opinion from, among others, the Royal Greenwich Observatory, regarding the feasibility of such a project. The advice they received envisaged that only very limited public access would be possible. Evidently the College decided that the project did not fit into their plans, so they declined the offer. A Trust was then set up with the Town Council, and plans were drawn up to build the Observatory on the summit of Dundee Law. However, the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 put the whole project in pause, and the site it was intended to occupy was instead reserved for the War Memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
, which was erected after the end of hostilities. No further progress was made during the 1920s.
The onset of the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in the 1930s caused the matter to be raised once again, since it was felt that the project would provide much-needed work for the depressed building industry. Professor Sampson
Ralph Allen Sampson
Ralph Allen Sampson FRS was a British astronomer.He was born in Skull, Co Cork to James Sampson, a Cornish-born metallurgical chemist. The family moved to Liverpool and Sampson attended the Liverpool Institute and then graduated from St. John's College, Cambridge in 1888...
, Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the second is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834....
for Scotland, was brought in as consultant. After examining several sites he came down strongly in favour of Balgay Hill
Balgay
Balgay is a suburb in the west end of Dundee, Scotland. The name, derived from Gaelic, seems to mean 'stead of the marsh/wind' . During the 17th century, Balgay House was built and now this has become incorporated into Royal Victoria Hospital. Balgay Hill and Victoria Park were acquired by Dundee...
as being by far the most suitable site, both in terms of astronomical suitability and for public access. This decision has stood the test of time, since other observatories have had their seeing conditions ruined by sodium lighting and other forms of modern pollution. The concept of a public observatory is, in a way, a contradiction in terms, since by definition, an observatory should be as far away from the public as possible. Most of the modern research observatories are situated on mountain-tops or desert areas. However, the geography of Dundee is unique, in that it has Balgay Hill overlooking a river estuary, protected from the main lights of the city by trees which also help to provide a purer atmosphere, and at the same time very accessible to the public. Something like 40% of all nights are observable.
Professor Sampson
Ralph Allen Sampson
Ralph Allen Sampson FRS was a British astronomer.He was born in Skull, Co Cork to James Sampson, a Cornish-born metallurgical chemist. The family moved to Liverpool and Sampson attended the Liverpool Institute and then graduated from St. John's College, Cambridge in 1888...
collaborated with James MacLellan Brown
James MacLellan Brown
James MacLellan Brown was the City Architect of Dundee, Scotland, known for remodelling of Sir John James Burnet's designs and designing the Mills Observatory ....
, the City Architect, in designing a much more modern building than the one originally planned before the war. The structure is of sandstone blocks quarried from Leoch, near Rosemill. The Observatory was formally opened by Professor Sampson on October 28, 1935, and presented to the Town Council by Mr. Milne of the Mills Trust in the presence of Lord Provost Buist. A message of congratulation was sent by the Astronomer Royal at Greenwich, Sir H. Spencer Jones. Articles on current celestial objects were written in the local press by the Reverend John Lees, who usually acted as chairman at public lectures given at the Observatory by visiting astronomers.
The first Curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
was J. Grant Bruce F.R.A.S., an instrument-maker from Newport
Newport-on-Tay
Newport-on-Tay is a small town in the north east of Fife in Scotland, acting as a commuter suburb for Dundee. The Fife Coastal Path passes through Newport.-History:...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. This was a part-time post, with a small salary. A full-time caretaker, George Dorward, was also appointed. Hours of opening were fixed, with special arrangements for visiting parties, and for qualified persons at other times. In the winter evenings, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays were for the public, with Tuesdays and Thursdays reserved for private booked parties. During the day and throughout the summer, visitors could view the scenery from the balcony, using two four-inch (102 mm) Turret telescopes by Ross, suitable for terrestrial viewing. These were excellent telescopes, also very suitable for wide-field, low-power astronomical work. Unfortunately these are no longer functioning and only parts of one remain.
In the dome, the original telescope given by the Mills Trust was an l8-inch ( 45 cm.) Newtonian reflector
Newtonian telescope
The Newtonian telescope is a type of reflecting telescope invented by the British scientist Sir Isaac Newton , using a concave primary mirror and a flat diagonal secondary mirror. Newton’s first reflecting telescope was completed in 1668 and is the earliest known functional reflecting telescope...
by Grubb Parsons, electrically driven. The dome itself, also built by Grubb, is hand-operated and made of papier-mâché
Papier-mâché
Papier-mâché , alternatively, paper-mache, is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste....
on a framework of steel. The only part of the dome which has had to be replaced over the years is the shutter, where the papier-mâché perished and marine plywood was substituted. The l8-inch telescope was rarely used at full aperture, due to its tendency to be affected by reflections from street lights caused by the open lattice-work tube.
One of the problems that restricted the astronomical work of the Observatory during this period was that Balgay Park
Balgay
Balgay is a suburb in the west end of Dundee, Scotland. The name, derived from Gaelic, seems to mean 'stead of the marsh/wind' . During the 17th century, Balgay House was built and now this has become incorporated into Royal Victoria Hospital. Balgay Hill and Victoria Park were acquired by Dundee...
was enclosed, and the gates were locked at dusk. Special arrangements had to be made with the Parks Department to have a gatekeeper on duty during the nights when the telescope was in use, and for him to supervise entry and exit of public and cars, and ensure no-one was left in the park after the observatory was locked up. This meant that all children had to be accompanied by an adult. For this reason the Council placed the Observatory under the administrative control of the Parks Superintendent, under whom it remained until reorganisation brought a transfer to the Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s Department. The railings were removed during the War, since when the park has had "open access." During the years 1935 to 1939 there was one staff change - Mr. Dorward retired and was succeeded by Mr. McDonald. Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War the Observatory was closed for the duration and the staff re-deployed to work of more immediate national importance. After the war, when the Observatory re-opened, the 18 inches (457.2 mm) telescope underwent a radical transformation. Professor E. Finlay Freundlich
Erwin Finlay-Freundlich
Erwin Finlay-Freundlich was a German astronomer, a pupil of Felix Klein. He was born in Biebrich, Germany. Freundlich was a working associate of Albert Einstein and introduced experiments for which the general theory of relativity could be tested by astronomical observations based on the...
of St. Andrews University, together with his colleagues R. Waland, W. Threadgill and Curator Bruce, were planning the half-scale pilot model of the 37-inch (95 cm) Schmidt Cassegrain reflecting telescope
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
The Schmidt–Cassegrain is a catadioptric telescope that combines a cassegrain reflector's optical path with a Schmidt corrector plate to make a compact astronomical instrument that uses simple spherical surfaces.-Invention and design:...
now installed in the James Gregory
James Gregory (astronomer and mathematician)
James Gregory FRS was a Scottish mathematician and astronomer. He described an early practical design for the reflecting telescope – the Gregorian telescope – and made advances in trigonometry, discovering infinite series representations for several trigonometric functions.- Biography :The...
building at St. Andrews. This was of a much more advanced design than the standard Schmidt telescopes
UK Schmidt Telescope
The 1.2 metre UK Schmidt Telescope is operated by the Australian Astronomical Observatory , and located adjacent to the 3.9 metre Anglo-Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia...
then in use. The Americans were also working on a similar design and the St. Andrews team were keen to be the first to have it in operation.
The problem was that they did not have a suitable mounting available in St. Andrews for the 19-inch (48 cm.) pilot model. They became interested in the Mills Observatory's Newtonian telescope
Newtonian telescope
The Newtonian telescope is a type of reflecting telescope invented by the British scientist Sir Isaac Newton , using a concave primary mirror and a flat diagonal secondary mirror. Newton’s first reflecting telescope was completed in 1668 and is the earliest known functional reflecting telescope...
as its mounting appeared ideally suited for their purpose. Permission was given by the Town Council for the Newtonian to be removed and the new instrument built in its place, on the assurance that:
"this would give Dundee a much superior instrument for direct public observation as the pilot instrument would be left permanently mounted in Dundee and available for public use."
During the next three years the telescope room was closed to the public while the work proceeded. Only the balcony was available and observations were carried out with small instruments. The telescope was completed in 1950 and described as "the first of its kind in the world." Unfortunately, it was purely for photographic work, which rather contradicted the above assurance.
However, matters took a different course. The expansion of the city north and west and the development of sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
and mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
street-lighting hampered the work of stellar
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, so in February, 1951 Bruce and Professor Freundlich suggested that the pilot telescope be transferred to St. Andrews University Observatory, eleven miles (18 km) to the south, for better conditions and proximity to the workshops. The Mills would then receive in exchange the 10-inch (25 cm.) Cooke refracting telescope formerly used as a student training instrument and now surplus to requirements. At first the Town Council refused, and there was much correspondence in the local press, and indignation among local amateurs, that the University should interfere with the affairs of a public institution. Professor W.H.M. Greaves, had succeeded Professor Sampson as Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the second is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834....
for Scotland
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...
, was called upon to advise on the matter. In view of the scientific benefits of the move, and lack of interest shown by University College, Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, he recommended that the transfer take place. This was done at the University's expense, and on the understanding that the two telescopes were on mutual loan.
The 10 inches (254 mm) refractor had to be modified slightly to fit the Mills dome, and the dew-cap cannot safely be used. However, it proved to be a much superior instrument for public viewing to the old Newtonian reflector
Newtonian telescope
The Newtonian telescope is a type of reflecting telescope invented by the British scientist Sir Isaac Newton , using a concave primary mirror and a flat diagonal secondary mirror. Newton’s first reflecting telescope was completed in 1668 and is the earliest known functional reflecting telescope...
. Originally built in 1871 it was, at one time, privately owned by Walter Goodacre
Walter Goodacre
Walter Goodacre was a British businessman and amateur astronomer.He was the second Director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association. In 1910, he published a 77" diameter hand drawn map of the moon. In 1931, he published a larger book of maps of the moon's surface with...
, president of the British Astronomical Association
British Astronomical Association
The British Astronomical Association is the senior national association of amateur astronomers in the UK.-Function:It encourages observational astronomy by non-professionals in areas which cannot be covered by professional observatories...
(B. A. A. ), who lived in the village of Four Marks
Four Marks
Four Marks is a large village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is southwest of Alton, on the A31 road....
, near Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
. The telescope was used there by many famous amateurs involved in the work of the B. A. A. and was always described by them as "the excellent 10-inch Cooke refractor". It is particularly good for observing fine lunar and planetary detail and although not basically designed for photographic work, the lens is so good that, with modern cameras, good photographs can be taken. The Observatory has also acquired a number of smaller telescopes over the years.
Sometime after the Cooke telescope was installed, Curator Bruce died. In the autumn of 1952, the Observatory resumed its public functions under a new Curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, Jaroslav Císař D. Sc., F.R.A.S., a research astronomer at St. Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
Dr. Císař, from Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, soon aroused interest by his popular courses in Astronomy at the adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
classes and encouraged young amateurs, including a number who became active in the Dundee Astronomical Society (D. A . S.), which was formed a few years later. He and A.S. Dow, Superintendent of the Parks Department, allowed the Society the use of the
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
. A number of exhibitions and “Open Days" were held at which the work of the local amateurs was exhibited.
Ford also organised displays of the work of the Observatory and the local Society at the B.A.A.’s Exhibition Meetings in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which excited great interest among the assembled amateurs, and resulted in many of them making a special journey to Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
during their holidays. Dr. Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
, well known TV and Radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
personality, praised the work of the Observatory as being "quite unique in his experience." He himself has visited the Observatory on a number of occasions. The period from 1971 to 1977 was a particularly fruitful one in the history of the Observatory. This was the period of the great upsurge of interest due to the space spectaculars of the USSR and USA, culminating in the Apollo missions
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
to the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. In July 1969, during the period of the Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
landing on the Moon, the Observatory witnessed the largest gathering of people in its history, when a colour TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
was installed in the lecture-room giving full coverage of the mission, interspersed with talks, slide-shows, and an exhibition, stewarded by members of the D.A.S.
Another significant event which stimulated local press interest was the expedition by Messrs. Ford, M. Findlay and D. Taylor to observe the 1973 total solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
off the coast of Mauretania
Mauretania
Mauretania is a part of the historical Ancient Libyan land in North Africa. It corresponds to present day Morocco and a part of western Algeria...
, as part of the B. A . A . organised cruise on the ship "Monte Umbe", covered for the B.B.C
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
by Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
and shown on his "Sky at Night" programme on television. The photographs obtained as a result of this trip form an important part of the Observatory archives.
In 1971, a meeting of Scottish Astronomical Societies was held in the Observatory, and a civic reception given to the delegates from all parts of Scotland
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...
. This was to be the first of a series of important meetings hosted by the Observatory. Possibly the greatest highlight of this entire period was the "Out of London“ meeting of the B. A. A. held on September 25, 1975 at the University of Dundee
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
, which was organised by Harry Ford and the D.A.S., followed by a Public Lecture at night given by Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
on the subject of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. This attracted such a wide interest that the hall was packed to overflowing and many had to be turned away.
The Lunar
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
Section of the B.A.A. met at the Mills Observatory on a number of occasions. At one such meeting in June 1972, Patrick Moore presented to the Observatory the original manuscript of Walter Goodacre’s
Walter Goodacre
Walter Goodacre was a British businessman and amateur astronomer.He was the second Director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association. In 1910, he published a 77" diameter hand drawn map of the moon. In 1931, he published a larger book of maps of the moon's surface with...
observations of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
made with the 10 inches (254 mm) refractor, when it was in his ownership, saying that it was only fitting that the manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
should be where the telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
was.
Harry Ford succeeded Patrick Moore as Director of the B.A.A. Lunar Section in 1976, with Findlay and Taylor as co-ordinators. Most of the work was carried out by local members of the Section, with the co-operation of the Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s Department. However, in November 1977, due to pressure of work, Ford resigned his Directorship.
During this period also the public work of the Observatory received a great boost, with many more visitors and parties of children and adults. Particular use of the facilities was made by school classes and youth groups. Ford extended the Observatory's displays by construction of many models including various space-crafts
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
. He was also responsible for an important addition to the Observatory's facilities, namely the 12-seat Planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
or artificial sky, which he built himself from various oddments, and which proved a great attraction in its own right, particularly for the younger visitors, and for school parties. Although it has now been supplemented by a commercially-made planetarium which can accommodate larger parties, Ford's original planetarium is still used regularly for small groups of visitors. Dick Kennedy, the longest-serving caretaker of the Observatory, who began after McDonald left in the 1950s and continued until his retirement in 1973. He was succeeded as caretaker by Jim Richardson, who retired the following year.
From then on the post was combined with that of Assistant to the Curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, and Thomas Flood took over that position. In February 1982, due to domestic circumstances, Ford resigned from his post as Curator and moved south. During his period Thomas Flood served as the Curator,latterly re-designated as City Astronomer. Ford was succeeded in October of that year by the present City Astronomer, Dr. Fiona Vincent, a research astronomer from St. Andrews. Thomas Flood retired later that same year and Gary Hannan, A former member of the D.A.S., took over astronomer's Assistant in February 1983.
The 1982–1983 season was memorable in that the D. A . S . Winter lectures included one by the current Director of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the second is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834....
for Scotland
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...
, Malcolm Longair
Malcolm Longair
-External links:...
, a native of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
. Dr. Patrick Moore also paid another visit to the Observatory in connection h a highly successful meeting of Scottish societies affiliated to the B.A.A., hosted by the Dundee society - one of a continuing series of astronomical meetings held at the Observatory.
The following year saw the inauguration of great changes at the Observatory, the net result of which improved the structure and facilities in a marked way the installation of central heating
Central heating
A central heating system provides warmth to the whole interior of a building from one point to multiple rooms. When combined with other systems in order to control the building climate, the whole system may be a HVAC system.Central heating differs from local heating in that the heat generation...
, the re-surfacing of the balcony, the general redecoration of the whole building, and the upgrading of the lecture-room to an audio-visual theatre with carpeted flooring. This, together with the development of the display area and sales section, was made possible by a grant from the Scottish Tourist Board, and meant the greatest upheaval since the Observatory was built. Despite this the work of the Observatory continued uninterrupted and indeed it hosted a record number of booked parties and casual visitors, a tribute to the efforts of the Astronomer and her Assistant.
The social high point of 1984 for the Observatory occurred on June 21, with the official opening of the new improved facilities by Dr. Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
in the presence of the Lord Provost
Lord Provost
A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...
, civic dignitaries, the Curator of Museums, Adam Ritchie, members of the Museums staff and invited guests. In his speech Dr. Moore predicted that in the future, as in the past, the Mills Observatory would play a great part in the furtherance of amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and inspire some to take up astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
as a career.
1986 – 2007
- The booklet The Mills Observatory -A Historical Survey by Thomas Flood was published in 1986, while Dr. Fiona Vincent was in charge.
- Dr. Vincent resigned in 1989 and was succeeded by her assistant, Mr. Brian Kelly.
- Mr. Kelly remained in post until 1999 when he resigned and the position was taken up by Mr Jeff Lashley, who remained in charge of the Observatory until November 2001.
- Dr. Bill SamsonWilliam SamsonDr. William Byars Samson is a Scottish astronomer, academic, computer scientist and a researcher in the fields of Astronomy, Databases, Artificial Intelligence, and Artificial Life....
took up the post of Heritage Officer (Mills Observatory) in February 2002 and became part-time Heritage Officer at the Mills in October 2004. - Mr. Ken Kennedy was employed to work on the winter evenings when Dr Samson was not in attendance at the observatory.
- In 2003 the observatory was extensively refurbished with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Disabled access and other facilities were added at that time. It was re-opened in February 2004 by HRH the Princess Royal.
- A 350 meter Planet Trail, in the form of standing stones with plaques to represent the planets, was opened by Professor John Brown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, in June 2004. This extends from the East summit of Balgay Hill (the ‘SunSunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
’) to the Mills Observatory (‘PlutoPlutoPluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
’). At the same time as the trail was constructed its surroundings were sympathetically landscaped and a new viewpoint established on the East summit. - In 2005 the Mills Observatory had its first visit from an Apollo AstronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
. Colonel David ScottDavid ScottDavid Randolph Scott is an American engineer, test pilot, retired U.S. Air Force officer, and former NASA astronaut and engineer, who was one of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963...
, commander of Apollo 15Apollo 15Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
visited the Observatory on 12 April. - March 13, 2007 Dr. Bill Samson's retirement.
Facilities
More than 10,000 people a year now visit the Mills Observatory and make use of its unique facilities. Admission is free to observatory and displays. A wide variety of services are available for free or with a nominal fee.Enquiry Service
The Astronomer Dr. Bill Samson, at Mills Observatory is happy to deal with telephone or personal enquiries during opening hours, and written enquiries at any time. Common enquiries include provision of sunrise and sunset times, reports of astronomical and atmospheric phenomena, and of course bookings for group visits.Group Visits
Groups are admitted to visit the Observatory at any time during opening hours. Special visits incorporating a Planetarium Show and observing with the main telescope, if weather is clear, can be organised currently for a fee of £12.50 per group..Lecture Room
The lecture room can accommodate up to 40, and provision is available to project 35 mm slides, 6 cm slides, overhead transparencies, or television-based video media.Observatory Shop
The souvenir shop sells a variety of items including telescopes, planispheres, water rockets, shooting starsMETEOR
METEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
, rock and mineral, books, posters, sweets and a huge selection of other desirable objects. Telescopes are also available from the observatory shop. These are the Skywatcher 114 mm and 60 mm refractor telescopes.
Access for people with disabilities
Parking is available outside the building and there is a ramp for wheelchair access to the ground floor area, where the main displays are to be seen and where the lecture room and toilets, including an accessible toilet are located. No lift is available for access to the upper areas, however, a variety of telescopes are available for use at ground level. A webcam attached to the dome telescopes allows viewing on a screen at ground level.Opening Hours
April – September- Tuesday to Friday 11 am – 5 pm
- Saturday and Sunday 12:30 – 4 pm
October-March
- Monday to Friday 4 - 10 pm
- Saturday and Sunday 12:30 - 4 pm
- The dome is open every weekday evening from October – March, except in public holidays.
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....
.
Coats Observatory, Paisley
Coats Observatory, Paisley
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...
.
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...
.
Sources
- City of Dundee Scotland: A Chronicle of The City's Office Bearers, Chambers, Regalia, Castles & Twin Cities, Gordon Bennett Design Limited, Dundee City Archive.
- Flood, Thomas. The Mills Observatory : A Historical Survey, Mills Observatory Documents, 1985.
- History of Mills Observatory Images, Dr. William Samson, Astronomer and Curator, Mills Observatory, March 12, 1997.
- The Overview of Mills Observatory
- Official Mills Observatory Home Page
- Presentations and Talks, Dr. William Samson, Robert Law and Stuart Clark at the Mills Observatory, Dundee.
See also
- Space observatorySpace observatoryA space observatory is any instrument in outer space which is used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects...
- Timeline of telescopes, observatories, and observing technologyTimeline of telescopes, observatories, and observing technology-3500s BC:*The earliest sundials known from the archaeological record are the obelisks ancient Egyptian astronomy and Babylonian astronomy-1900s BC:*Xiangfen Astronomical Observatory, Xiangfen County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province, China-600s BC:...
- List of astronomical observatories
- List of observatory codes