Scope and Contents Correspondence of G.A. Harding regarding administrative and astronomical matters, including letters concerning the occultations of Antares, 9 January 1969; a request for information on globular cluster NGC 6171, 29 January 1969; details of the Cape Transit Circle, 17 February 1969; maintenance work to be carried out on the 30-inch telescope, 17 April 1969; the specification for the prime focus plateholder mount on the Isaac Newton Telescope, 14 March 1969; defects in the R 40 plates, 5...

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Copies of a letter from Dr R.P. Kraft, Lick Observatory to Mrs M. Burbidge, Royal Greenwich Observatory, 13 October 1972, and Mrs Burbidge's reply of 7 November, regarding using Junipero Serra Peak on a cooperative basis.

Scope and Contents Correspondence and some related papers regarding the Isaac Newton Telescope and building grounds, including the following items:Correspondence with the Ministry of Public Building and Works regarding various pieces of equipment.Correspondence with Sir Howard Grubb, Parsons and Co. Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.Correspondence with the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh.Correspondence with the Defence Lands Office, Canterbury.Correspondence with the McGregor Fund,...

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Correspondence with potential users of the Northern Hemisphere Observatory and arrangements for meetings. The correspondents are D.W.N. Stibbs; H.A. Brück; R. Wilson and D. McNally, University of London Observatory; J. Ring; J.D. McGee and B.C. Morgan, Imperial College of Science and Technology; Mrs M. Burbidge and A. Hunter, Royal Greenwich Observatory; Z. Kopal, University of Manchester; A.J. Meadows, University of Leicester; and Dr Vesecky, University of Leicester.

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Correspondence of Redman, A.D. Thackeray, M.W. Feast, Mrs M. Burbidge and T. Lloyd Evans of the Radcliffe Observatory, South Africa, regarding the Northern Hemisphere Observatory project, including 'Comments and Additions by Staff at the Radcliffe Observatory to Views of Astronomers at the R.G.O.'.

Scope and Contents A letter from Sir Brian Flowers, Chairman, Science Research Council, 22 January 1973, and Redman's reply of 25 January, regarding the accuracy of Margaret Burbidge's statements to the press concerning the Northern Hemisphere Observatory, the Isaac Newton Telescope and the Anglo-Australian Telescope. There is also a related newspaper cutting from the 'Guardian', 15 January 1973, and a photocopy of Burbidge's interview with Robert Walgate, published in the 'Physics Bulletin', Vol. 24, January...

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A letter from Sir Martin Ryle, 11 January 1973, requesting Redman's opinion on an enclosed draft letter to Margaret Burbidge concerning the specification of the telescope/telescopes for the Northern Hemisphere Observatory and the instrumentation and organisation of that observatory, which will be discussed at the meeting of the Royal Greenwich Observatory Committee on 5 February. There is also a copy of Redman's reply of 15 January.

Scope and Contents Dr Alan Hunter, former Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, talking to Andrew Shaw about his life and career at the RGO. Includes: discussions on how he joined the Observatory at Greenwich; his background; first impressions of the ORO; his work and instruments there; the atmosphere and working conditions; the outbreak of War and evacuation of Greenwich; details of the Thompson and Yapp telescopes; his observational research work and science at the RGO; his opinion of Humphrey...

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A letter from H.A. Brück to Sir Fred Hoyle questioning Margaret Burbidge's apparent reluctance to consult the British astronomical community with regard to the Northern Hemisphere Observatory project.

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A copy of a letter from J.F. Hosie, Science Research Council, to Margaret Burbidge replying to her letter of 4 August (RGO 37/159), requesting that she prepare a detailed statement on the sort of N.H.O. project team required.

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A copy of a letter from Malcolm Smith, Cerro Tololo Observatory, to Margaret Burbidge regarding sites, design and instrumentation, his research interests, staffing and organisation with regard to the Northern Hemisphere Observatory project.

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A copy of a letter from Margaret Burbidge to Sir Fred Hoyle expressing concern about the work of the N.H.O. Planning Committee, including the appointment of a project director.

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A letter from Margaret Burbidge to D.W.N. Stibbs, incoming chairman of N.H.O. Planning Committee, 21 August 1972, enclosing a chart of the proposed project team; a flow chart depicting the sequence of events leading to the installation of two main telescopes; and a preliminary estimate for the removal of the Isaac Newton Telescope to a Mediterranean site, based on discussions with Sir Howard Grubb, Parsons and Co. Ltd.

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A copy of a letter from Margaret Burbidge to Sir Fred Hoyle requesting that a N.H.O. Planning Committee meeting be held as soon as possible and stating that if there is outright rejection of her proposals she feels that she should resign.

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A copy of a letter from Margaret Burbidge to J.F. Hosie regarding the possible sites in the United States for the Northern Hemisphere Observatory. She records that Malcolm Smith is to be approached to take on the initial project officer task because Wal Sargent cannot perform this role.

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A letter from Margaret Burbidge, 23 January 1973, enclosing a copy of a letter from Brian Warner, University of Cape Town, 4 January 1973. Warner's letter is the last of the replies from overseas astronomers asked about their views of the proposed Northern Hemisphere Observatory, and was not circulated to the rest of the N.H.O. Planning Committee. In her letter, Burbidge comments on points raised by Allan Sandage, Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories.

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A copy of a letter from Redman to D.E. Blackwell, Oxford University Observatory, arranging a visit to Oxford to discuss the Northern Hemisphere Observatory. Redman mentions that he was infuriated by a 'Guardian' article quoting Mrs Burbidge.

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A copy of a letter from Redman to Margaret Burbidge replying to her letter of 4 August (RGO 37/159). Redman states that the N.H.O. Project Director should be an engineer-administrator, not an astronomer, and that there is little danger that the Northern Hemisphere Observatory would be planned and built in the same way as the Isaac Newton Telescope or the Anglo-Australian Telescope.

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A undated memorandum to the members of the Northern Hemisphere Observatory Policy Committee from Margaret Burbidge regarding the title for the proposed new national observatory.

Scope and Contents Miscellaneous correspondence with, among others, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia; the British Horological Institute; Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Bromet; the B.B.C.; Bedford College, London; Bart J. Bok; H.A. Brück of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh; the British Astronomical Association; and Mrs E.M. Burbidge of the University of California, San Diego. The subjects include an interview by Sir Richard Woolley for the B.B.C.; a lecture to Bedford...

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A copy of a note from J.D. Pope to Dr Burbidge, 18 December 1972, regarding the 'Title for the Proposed New National Observatory'.

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A significant part of the collection concerns two of the key developments at the Observatory during Mrs Burbidge's time as Director: the plans for the Anglo-Australian Telescope and improvements to the Isaac Newton Telescope. Other material includes papers relating to committees and other bodies, general correspondence on the Observatory's internal affairs and Mrs Burbidge's personal papers regarding a range of different subjects.

Scope and Contents The collection comprises an incomplete archive of the business papers of ‘The Observatory’ from 1922 to 1983 (mostly covering 1939-1975). The papers are arranged in four series: financial records, general correspondence and business files, reprints files, and miscellaneous print material. The bulk of the collection consists of editorial correspondence with contributing authors, mainly concerning submissions for publication (RGO 83/2) and reprints (RGO 83/3). Some files include...

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Correspondence with Dr Bennet McInnes, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, regarding site tests at Izaña and La Palma and the difficulty over negotiations with the Spanish authorities. There is also a copy of a letter from M.F. Walker, University of California, to H.A. Brück, referring to Walker's recent visit to the Canaries and site testing.

Scope and Contents Correspondence and papers regarding meetings of the Panel on the Instrumentation of Large Optical Telescopes (P.I.L.O.T.) and the Large Telescope Users Panel:A memorandum (PILOT-213), progress report No. 1, regarding the multi-channel spectrophotometer for the Anglo-Australian Telescope, 1972. Attached is PILOT-222, a broad outline of the design of the instrument, dated 19 May 1972.A memorandum from D. McMullan on the construction and use of a Wampler Superscanner. Attached...