Coats Observatory
The Coats Observatory is a public observatory in the Scottish town of Paisley in the Renfrewshire council area . In 1971 the building was included in the Scottish monument lists in the highest monument category A.
history
The establishment of an observatory was suggested at the annual meeting of the Paisley Philosophical Institution . Thomas Coats , the brother of the textile industrialist Peter Coats , who had donated the Paisley Museum a decade earlier , provided the funds needed to build the observatory. In addition to the facility, he also provided the society with around £ 2000 in funding. In March 1882 Coats laid the foundation stone of the building, but was unable to attend the opening ceremonies in October 1883 for health reasons. He passed away two weeks later. The building, designed by John Honeyman , cost around £ 3,100 to build .
When it opened in 1883, the Coats Observatory was the first public observatory in Scotland. Various telescopes have been installed over the decades. Since the 1920s, the facility was in financial difficulties, which were exacerbated by the Second World War . After a further worsening of the financial situation, the city of Paisley took over the facility and incorporated it into the adjacent Paisley Museum. In the 1970s the facility was renovated and in 1995 the dome was replaced. Today the Coats Observatory is one of four public observatories in Scotland.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ^ A b Information from the Renfrewshire Astronomical Society
Web links
- Information about the Coats Observatory
- Entry on Coats Observatory in Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland's database
Coordinates: 55 ° 50 ′ 44.6 " N , 4 ° 25 ′ 51.9" W.