Lecture: When Gateshead Ruled the World: The Curious story of the Newall Telescope

Image c/o: National Observatory of Athens & R.S Newall FRS FRAS..

Photographs of the Newall Telescope installed at Ferndene, Gateshead, home of Robert Stirling Newall (1812-1889).

Images c/o: University of Cambridge.

In the 1870’s Gateshead was one of the world’s most famed astronomical destinations.

The reason was the 25inch telescope, the largest refractor in the world (at that time), owned and run by the wealthy Scottish engineer and amateur astronomer Robert Stirling Newall  FRS FRAS on his estate located next to the present day Saltwell Park.

Newall’s telescope was a magnet to the most famous astronomers, scientists and artists of the day.

This presentation by our SAS President Dave Newton tells the curious history of the telescope and some of the characters associated with it.

• Date:  Sunday 17th September 2017,
• Time: 7pm.
• Speaker: Dave Newton (SAS President).
• Venue: Will take place at the Cygnus Observatory (WWC Discovery Room).

Background Information: Other External Links:

• Newall’s own account of his early submarine cable work
• R.S Newall & Company and other early cable manufacturers
• The Newall telescope at the Penteli Observatory