1.
GV OBSERVATORY BUILDING WITH TELESCOPE HOUSES
0.03

2.
LV & SLV NEW TELESCOPE HOUSING
0.09

3.
SV INT. ASTRONOMER ROYAL TAKES SEAT IN LOWER VIEWING POSITION
0.16

4.
SCU ASTRONOMER ROYAL ADJUSTS DIALS
0.17

5.
SCU ANOTHER ANGLE DITTO
0.20

6.
CU OFFICIAL AT CONTROL PANEL
0.22

7.
CU PANEL
0.25

8.
SV LOWER SECTION OF TELESCOPE REVOLVES
0.27

9.
CU ANGLE INDICATOR WORKING
0.30

10.
SV TILT FROM LOWER VIEWING SECTION TO UPPER VIEWING CAPSULE
0.38

11.
GV UPPER CAPSULE
0.41

12.
CU MAN AT CONTROL PANEL
0.43

13.
SV MAN SETTLES INTO UPPER VIEWING CAPSULE
0.56

14.
CU CONTROL PANEL
0.59

15.
SV UPPER VIEWING CAPSULE MOVES
1.07

16,.
GV TELESCOPE
1.12



Initials PBS/V/JF/DM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A TELESCOPE FOR WHICH BRITISH ASTRONOMERS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS WILL BE UNVEILED ON FRIDAY AT HURSTMONCEUX CASTLE IN SUSSEX BY QUEEN ELIZABETH.

THE TELESCOPE, WITH A CONCAVE MIRROR MEASURING 98 INCHES (248 C.M.) IS THE LARGEST OF ITS TYPE IN EUROPE AND THE FIFTH LARGEST IN THE WORLD.

PLANS TO INSTALL THE TELESCOPE WERE APPROVED IN 1946., BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1956 THAT WORK ON THE TELESCOPE WAS STARTED. THE MIRROR, SHAPED TO AN ACCURACY OF A FEW MILLIONTHS OF AN INCH. IS FITTED IN A MOVEABLE MOUNTING, AND CAN BE DIRECTED IN ANY SKYWARD DIRECTION.

THE MOVEABLE SECTION OF THE HUGE TELESCOPE WEIGHS EIGHTY SEVEN TONS, AND IS A REMARKABLE PIECE OF PRECISION ENGINEERING ACCURATE TO WITHIN A FEW THOUSANDTHS OF AN INCH (C.M.).

THE TELESCOPE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL FOR ABOUT A YEAR, AND WHEN IT IS ASTRONOMERS WILL HAVE TO APPLY TO USE IT. EXPERIMENTS ARE ALREADY BEING CARRIED OUT ON THE NEW EQUIPMENT, AND ASTRONOMERS HOPE THAT BY A SYSTEM OF AMPLIFYING THE LIGHT IT RECEIVES IT WILL BE THE EQUIVALENT OF ONE THOUSAND INCH (2,540 C.M.) TELESCOPE.

THE HURSTMONCEUX CASTLE OBSERVATORY, PART OF THE ROYAL GREENWICH OBSERVATORY OFFERS GOOD VIEWING CONDITIONS FOR ONLY ABOUT TWENTY PER CENT OF THE YEAR BUT BRITISH ASTRONOMERS ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT IT WILL HELP CUT AMERICAN'S LEAD IN ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH, GAINED BY THE INSTALLATION OF THE 100 INCH (254 C.M.) AT MOUNT WILSON IN 1917.