Markree Observatory

Markree Observatory, at Markree Castle in County Sligo, Ireland, was once home to the largest refracting telescope in the world and the site of a notable 19th-century asteroid discovery.

About Markree Observatory

Founded in 1830, the observatory sits at an elevation of 44 metres and was built around a 13.3-inch (340mm) Cauchoix of Paris lens - the largest refractor of its day.

History

Markree operated to varying degrees throughout the 19th century, including a brief hiatus followed by a return to activity in the later 1800s. In 1848, Andrew Graham, an assistant at the observatory, used a comet-seeker telescope there to discover the asteroid 9 Metis. The observatory also compiled a star catalogue of some 60,000 entries during the 1850s and, in its later years, became known for meteorological observations and research into double stars.

Location & getting there

The observatory is part of Markree Castle in County Sligo, in the northwest of Ireland, at an elevation of 44 metres.

Visiting Markree Observatory

Markree is described as a former observatory, and we don't have confirmed details on public access to the historic instruments today - check locally or search online before planning a visit.

See your named star from here

Markree's history of world-leading telescope work makes it a fitting place to imagine tracking down a named star's coordinates. Name a star or browse the catalogue of stars already registered.