THE GODLEE OBSERVATORY - MANCHESTER ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

The Godlee Observatory is located at the top of a building on Sackville Street, at the University of Manchester (take the entrance to Granby Row). The tower that houses it is a well-known landmark in the city. Francis Godlee (1854-1928) launched the project for this observatory in 1903. Its main telescope, the double Godlee telescope, was manufactured by the Grubb Telescope Company of Dublin. It now consists of a 500 mm diameter telescope combined with a beautiful 180 mm telescope dedicated to observations. Among the observatory's greatest feats of arms (more precisely its telescope), let us mention the taking of the first photograph ever taken of the Andromeda M31 galaxy - at the time called the Andromeda Nebula, because scientists did not know that it was a galaxy -, it was in 1887 by the very famous amateur astronomer Isaac Roberts (1829-1904) ! Once a week, it is possible to visit this magical place that offers interesting views of the city of Manchester. When the weather allows it, it is then possible to make beautiful observations of the Moon and the planets in particular.