Why I Love Old Observatories

If you wonder why I belong to the Antique Telescope Society, and why I go to these conventions, check out this gorgeous telescope. This is a six-inch aperture Pistor & Martins "meridian circle." It points up through that slit in the roof, and determines the positions of stars as they pass through the meridian. It does it with incredibly great accuracy. But it is stunning to look at, having been recently restored. It was one of the original instruments in the observatory when it opened in 1854.