F3404

Telescope mirror Long Caption: A Newtonian primary mirror of speculum with a black metal cover. The mirror and cover are in a padded wooden box. The box is labelled:'9 inch Plane Speculum Mirror'. This mirror belonged to the Royal Greenwich Observatory (RGO) and was presented to the Museum in 1981 when the astronomers were based at Herstmonceux Castle (after leaving the Observatory's original site in Greenwich in the 1950s and before moving to their final location in Cambridge in the 1990s). The mirror is thought (presumably because of its dimensions and the type of metal) to have been made by William Herschel though the astronomers at the RGO had no accompanying documentation about its origin to corroborate this. Credit line: © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London presented by RGO Herstmonceux in 1981 Object: AST0889 Artist: Sir William Herschel Date: circa 1800 Medium: speculum metal; wood; textile; metal Size: 304 mm x 304 mm x 63 mm x 229 mm Click here to buy a bespoke print of this image.