Kingston Observatory
The Kingston Observatory predates the current observatory at Queen's University.
Some articles on this historic facility are here:
- MNRAS 1867, Vol.28, page 12: Determination of the Latitude of Kingston Observatory, Canada, by the Rev. Dr. J. Williamson.
- National Newsletter (Feb. 1986) pp.L3-4: Historic Occasion for Astronomy in Kingston, by Leo Enright.
- JRASC (June 1986) Vol.80, No.3, pp.124-7: The Kingston Observatory, by V.A. Hughes.
- JRASC (Aug. 1997) Vol.91, No.4, p.170: Examples of Astronomy in the Kingston Area in the Nineteenth Century, by Peter Broughton.
Queen's Observatory
A full history of the observatory at Queen's University is available on the
Queen's Observatory website.
[Link] (Opens in new window.)
The article below was part of the old Queen's Observatory website at
http://www.astro.queensu.ca/~observatory/ (now offline).
Observatory Notes: JRASC in 1978, Vol.72, No.51
The History of the Queen's Observatory
Astronomy has been part of the Queen's community since as
far back as the 1850's. The original Observatory was constructed in
City Park, just east of Queen's campus, and housed a
6.25-inch refracting telescope. In the early 1860's,
management of the observatory was officially transferred from the City
of Kingston to what was then "Queen's College".
The Observatory was relocated in 1881 to a new building on Queen's
campus. In 1909, the facility was moved yet again, to a site at the
foot of University Avenue where it remained until it was demolished in
1946 to make way for McLaughlin Hall. The above photo was taken at
this site in 1922 (courtesy Queen's Archives).
In 1958, a small
observatory was constructed on the roof of Ellis Hall, the Civil
Engineering Building. A 15-inch Cassegrain reflecting telescope was
installed and the Observatory officially re-opened in November, 1960.