Astronomers at Greenwich observatory to study sky again after 60 years

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The Royal Observatory in Greenwich, U.K., was shut down due to the smog in London in 1957. But now, six decades later, astronomers will be able to study the sky from there once again.  

Earlier this week, the observatory unveiled a new, cutting-edge telescope called the Annie Maunder Astrographic Telescope. Astronomers say this advanced technology allows them to filter out pollution — getting a better look at stars, planets, nebulae and galaxies. 

Louise Devoy is the curator of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. She spoke to As It Happens guest host Robyn Bresnahan about the new telescope, and the woman it was named after. 

Ms. Devoy, why has the Royal Observatory decided to study the sky again after 60 years?

Sixty years ago, astronomers had to battle against light and smoke pollution as the City of London started to encroach on Greenwich.

But these days, with all these amazing new cameras and digital technology, we can actually filter out some of the light pollution.

We've still got a little bit of air pollution from London City Airport and just general smog. But after the Clean Air Act of 1956, the conditions improved significantly. So we're really lucky now.

So basically astronomy had to be moved out of London into the countryside?

Absolutely. By the 1930s and World War II it was becoming almost impossible to do the high level precision astronomy that the astronomers wanted to do here.

So gradually during the 1940s and 50s they started to move the telescopes down to ... a beautiful rural location in Sussex — away from the smog, and the pollution, and the lights, and it was much more suited.

Some people might be surprised at that and think that surely there is more light pollution, more air pollution now than 60 years ago.

Yes certainly, we're so used to being dazzled by street lights and artificial lights today.

But now with these digital filters and processing software, we can try and eliminate the worst offenders of that light pollution.

It's just remarkable how even when you look up at the sky, it looks very washed out with the naked eye. When you use these digital technologies and apply the filters and processing, you can see amazing galaxies and nebulae. It's a whole new world up there.

What can you tell us about the new telescope?

The new Annie Maunder Astrographic Telescope is actually made up of four different telescopes — different sizes different specifications, combinations of lenses and mirrors.

The idea is that we can use this whole suite of telescopes to look at the sun safely using certain filters. We can look at galaxies, the moon [and] the planets. So we've got this whole range of instruments that we can use.

The telescope is named after an astronomer, Annie Maunder, and she had a part in looking at the sun and studying the sun. Tell us a bit more about her.

Annie Maunder and joined the Royal Observatory in September 1891 as one of our first for female "lady computers," as they were called then. These were ladies with a background in mathematics who would process data effectively [from] manuals and have to take all that raw data and number-crunch to make it to better formats.

Part of her role involved taking daily photographs of the sun using a specially adapted telescope and camera. Annie did this for several years. And then, she married her colleague Walter Maunder who was head of the photographic departments.

[Annie Maunder] never really gave up. She wanted to share astronomy with as many people as she could.- Louise Devoy, curator at Royal Observatory 

Unfortunately under civil service rules, Annie wasn't permitted to continue working as a married woman. So, Annie and Walter continued the exploration of the sun by organizing these solar eclipse expeditions with their friends and amateur groups. She was still able to really contribute to observing the sun and she captured some incredible images of the sun's atmosphere and eclipses using some of the cameras that she designed herself.

How do you reflect on the fact that back then, she had to quit her job after she got married?

It just seems so strange to us these days. There are so many more opportunities for women both in astronomy and other sciences.

Annie really faced so many challenges throughout her life. She was not permitted to be given her degree at Cambridge even though she completed the Mathematical Tripos.

She wasn't permitted to join the Royal Astronomical Society until 1916. She was a very determined lady and I think she really wanted to fulfil her ambition and she was going to overcome those challenges come what may.

What do you want a new generation of would-be scientists and astronomers to know about her?

I think it would be great to really recognize the fact that she was very dedicated to her work.

She never really gave up. She wanted to share astronomy with as many people as she could. She often gave public lectures. She wrote popular astronomy books.

She was very much engaged with a wider audience, and I think that's very much our guiding principle as well today that we really want to share this knowledge and these incredible ideas and images with so many people.

This Q&A has been edited and condensed for clarity. Interview was written and produced by Samantha Lui.