Isaac Roberts’ Observatory

Isaac Roberts' Observatory was a private astronomical facility in Crowborough, Sussex, United Kingdom, built and run by the British astronomer Isaac Roberts from 1890 until his death in 1904.

About Isaac Roberts' Observatory

Roberts, an engineer by profession, retired from business in 1888 to devote himself to astronomy full time, going on to earn the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society for his work in astrophotography. His observatory in Crowborough became the base for that research.

History

Active from 1890 to 1904, the observatory holds the distinction of code 001 on the Minor Planet Center's list of observatory codes, reflecting its early and notable contribution to positional astronomy.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's main instrument was a 20-inch Newtonian photographic reflector built by Howard Grubb of Dublin, paired with a 7-inch refractor guidescope from Thomas Cooke & Son of York, a combination well suited to the long-exposure photography Roberts pioneered.

Location & getting there

The site is in Crowborough, Sussex, in the United Kingdom, at an elevation of around 268 metres, part of the Sussex High Weald.

Visiting Isaac Roberts' Observatory

The observatory's legacy is now cared for by the University of Sussex; check the university's outreach pages before planning a visit, since it is a historic site rather than an active public observatory.

See your named star from here

Roberts made his name capturing faint, faraway objects on film; today, the same principle lets any well-equipped observatory point directly at the coordinates of your named star. See your star's details in the catalogue.