Subscribers might be interested to hear about a historical contribution to the 2009 International Year of Astronomy's Cosmic Diary blogging project (www.cosmicdiary.org ). While the other bloggers are working astronomers, I am compiling a blog that gives a taste of daily life at the Royal Observatory Greenwich in 1894. Called Cosmic Diary: Greenwich 1894, it is based on transcriptions from the working journals of the Astronomer Royal (William Christie) and Chief Assistant (H.H. Turner followed by Frank Dyson) with lots of added comments, notes and images.
This historical blog will shortly be available through a link on the Cosmic Diary front page but can also be accessed directly at www.cosmicdiary1894.blogspot.com . I aim to keep it running throughout 2009 and hope for comments from astronomers, historians and anyone else who is interested.
In case anyone wonders, 1894 was chosen because, as well as suitable mss being available at CUL, it's a year that references building works and instruments that can still be seen at the ROG, and important changes in staffing and types of astronomy done at Greenwich. However, it is the sheer range of topics arising that is fascinating - the blog posts covering January 1894 have already seen the Astronomer Royal experimenting with his new 28-inch equatorial telescope, discussing the building of the New Physical Observatory, showing his telescopes off to theatre set designers and shopping for WCs. Do have a look in February - a bit of an explosive month!
Rebekah Higgitt
Curator of History of Science and Technology
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich
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