OBSERVATORY. 
ftone pier, ae north and fouth, to which are at- 
tached two mural quadrants, each of eight feet radius. 
ern face, which obferves the fouthern 
e by Bird, and the other, which ob- 
Sufpended to the weitern 
» with which Bradley 
nd Wanftead, that led 
Sof the etal of light, and the nu- 
tation : the earth’s axis. 
only the ufe of a telefcope, and_an accurate vErowledge of 
the time, are require t is furnifhed with fliding fhut- 
ters on the roof and fides, to view any point of the hemi- 
rizon. 
forty-inch achromatic, with a triple obje&t-glafs, and a five- 
feet amare both by Dollond ; with a fix-feet reflector, 
by Dr. Herfei 
Bale fori of the obfervatory and eaft of the houfe are 
two “Small gee pica with hemifpherical fliding 
omes, in each o ich is an equatorial feétor, by Siffon, 
and a cloc aa be Ano. Thefe are chiefly ufed for ob- 
ferving co 
With refpett to the dwelling-houfe, the lower apartments 
are occupied by the aftronomer royal, and over them is a 
large o€tagonal room, which contains a great variety of 
aftronomical inftruments, with a hbrary, confifting chiefly 
of fcientific and {carce works. On the top of the houfe is 
an excellent camera ob{cura, which could not be better 
placed for the exhibition of interefting objects. 
t is not unworthy of notice, that early in Flamfteed’s time 
there was a well funk in the fouth-eaft cornet ° what is now 
urpofe of 
ver fally isa’ to poffefs an unrivalled degree of accuracy. 
M. D him, on his life 
he Na- 
for the lait 30 years, as cr foundation of all aerauae hn 
refearches. In fhort, it may be faid of the four volum 
of Obfervations which he has publifhed, that if, —— 
great revolution, the {ciences fhould be loft, and that this 
colleGtion only were faved, there would be found in it fuffi- 
cient materials to conftruct almoft an entire edifice o 
aly aftronomy ; ; which cannot be faid of any other col- 
leGtio 
For fimilar atteftations made by foreign aftronomers of the 
utility and importance, as well as fuperior rane of the 
Greenwich obfervations, fee our life of Dr. elyne. 
The following are the names of the Aioaoien who have 
officiated here in fucceffion, with the times of their fervices 
refpectively: Flamfteed, 43 years; Halley, 23 years; 
Bradley, 20 years ; Blifs, 2 years ; and Mafkelyne, 46 years. 
(For a particular account of their labours, fee their lives, as 
well as the various aftronomical articles of this work.) Dr. 
Mafkelyne has been fucceeded by John Pond, efq. F.R.S. 
who was appointed aftronomer royal in February 1812. 
In giving a defcription of the Royal papragent it 
may be deemed an omiffion not to notice the peculiar 
beauty of the fituation. The building infelf i is no way 
the Thames with the wealth of nations, and which traverfe 
the remoteft feas, owe their fcience and their fafety, ina great 
meafure, to the Greenwich obfervator 
Dr. Herfchel’s Nasal at Slough, near Windfor, though 
not a fixed one, will ever claim im a diftinguifhed place i in the 
hiftory of i 1 
ant eftablifhment the world is indebted to the munificence of 
his prefent majefty, George III., who is liberally Seafraarer 
r. Herfchel, and who on other occ afions jan ay himfelf 
a ae and enlightened promoter of aftro 
In defcribing this obfervatory, it fhould ‘3 aed. oo 
Dr. Herfchel’s labours derive a peculiar charaéter and i 
tereft from the circumftance, a° a difcoveries are ne baile 
of his own inventions. For 
feet in saree up to (an feet, and the apparatus and m 
nery with which they are mounted are alfo of ic Fenton, 
and exhibit a very ingenious difplay of mechan 
As his larger teleicopes could not be canned ma- 
naged within the cover of a building, they are mounted in 
the open air, where they ftand pointing to the heavens in dif- 
ferent cola and make a moft magnificent and impreffive 
Thus they are placed in what has been called 
tial object is readily found and a eer vie 
finithed in 1784, and on the firft trial a new fate 
Saturn was difcovered by it, and a fecon 
For a particular alee eon of Dr. Herfchel’s ee apes 
with their refpective magnifying and {pace-penetrating 
powers, fee our article TELEscors ; and for his various dif- 
coveries, fee ASTRONOMY, DovuBLeE Stars, GALAxy, Moon, 
SATELLITE, STAR, and Sun. It 
fhould be further ftated here, that a very full and accurate ac- 
count of his inventions and difcoveries, as well as a particular 
defcription of his telefcopes and their apparatus, (with plates,) 
will be found in the Philofophical Tranfa&tions, to which he 
has been a moft important contributor, having fupplied that 
work with nearly 70 elaborate and ingenious communica- 
tions. 
Z 
et 
cannot conclude this fketch vices Noticing — of 
his eeihne, of {maller fize, whic n the 
firft is a two-feet Newto nian re- 
whofe aftronomical attainments do great honour to : 
Pp2 
