Mills Observatory - Telescopes

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 Edingurgh in 1871 by Robert Bruce 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.