The Observatory was built at the suggestion of Dr Thomas Hornsby, the Savilian Professor of Astronomy, after he had used a room in the nearby Radcliffe Infirmary to observe the transit of Venus across the sun's disc in 1769. The transit was a notable event which helped to produce greatly improved measurements for nautical navigation.
Beneath the Tower itself are rooms at each of three levels: the ground floor is now the College dining room, the first floor, originally the library, is now used as the Common Room, and on the top floor is the magnificent octagonal observing room.
Now bereft of its instruments, the room nevertheless still contains some of the original furniture as well as a spiral staircase which leads to an upper gallery. From this gallery the Observer had access to the roof where meteorological observations were carried out. Large windows lead from the observing room onto the balcony, making it possible to wheel observing instruments outdoors.
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Isisbridge said:
The Observatory was built at the suggestion of Dr Thomas Hornsby, the Savilian Professor of Astronomy, after he had used a room in the nearby Radcliffe Infirmary to observe the transit of Venus across the sun's disc in 1769. The transit was a notable event which helped to produce greatly improved measurements for nautical navigation.
Beneath the Tower itself are rooms at each of three levels: the ground floor is now the College dining room, the first floor, originally the library, is now used as the Common Room, and on the top floor is the magnificent octagonal observing room.
Now bereft of its instruments, the room nevertheless still contains some of the original furniture as well as a spiral staircase which leads to an upper gallery. From this gallery the Observer had access to the roof where meteorological observations were carried out. Large windows lead from the observing room onto the balcony, making it possible to wheel observing instruments outdoors.