University of Glasgow Observatory

Since 1757 the University of Glasgow Observatory has gazed at the cosmos. Its story is one of relocation and renewal. The first observatory a quaint building stood near the High Street. James Watt a young instrument maker repaired its instruments. Professor Alexander Wilson the first Professor of Practical Astronomy made it famous. He studied sunspots a contribution to early solar physics. The observatory’s location became unsuitable. Smoke and new buildings obscured the stars. The University of Glasgow Observatory moved to Dowanhill. Professor John Pringle Nichol’s exciting lectures sparked its creation. A Treasury grant helped fund it. The new location had a guarantee against tall buildings. The observatory provided accurate time to the city. It supplied a one o’clock time signal to Yorkhill Quay for mariners. It created the famous Glasgow Star Catalogue. Even Dowanhill became unsuitable. Growth made the site less useful. The University of Glasgow Observatory relocated again to University Gardens. Sir Arthur Eddington opened it in 1939. Tall buildings once again caused problems. The Queen Margaret Union now occupies the site. The University of Glasgow Observatory found a home on the Garscube Estate. Professor Bruck the Astronomer Royal for Scotland inaugurated it in 1969. A 20-inch Grubb-Parsons telescope was installed. It’s now on the Cochno Estate in the Kilpatrick Hills. The current observatory at Acre Road has many telescopes. It includes a 16-inch Dall-Kirkham a transit telescope and radio instruments. It also has a planetarium. The University of Glasgow Observatory continues its mission. It teaches undergraduates and expands our knowledge of the universe. From humble beginnings to modern technology its legacy endures.