Sheepshanks equatorial

[1] The telescope was donated to the observatory by the astronomer Richard Sheepshanks.

The telescope had a doublet objective lens made by Cauchoix of Paris.

[3][4] From 1835 to 1963 it was mounted in Greenwich Observatory's Sheepshanks Dome (located between the later Great Equatorial Building and the Prime Meridian); from 1963 to 1982 it was mounted in the Altazimuth Pavilion.

[6] An 1840 report from the Observatory noted of the new Sheepshanks telescope:[7] The power and general goodness of this telescope make it a most welcome addition to the instruments of the observatoryStill in service over half a century later, an 1896 report by W. H. M. Christie had this to say about the Sheepshanks at that time:[5] Its definition is good: A small quantity of colour from the secondary spectrum, and a diffusion of light from brilliant objects, being the principal defects.At one time the Sheepshanks refractor was the largest aperture telescope at Greenwich.

[9][10] Some of the stars that were observed include Bradley 687, 130 Tauri, and 26 Geminorum- among others.

The Sheepshanks dome is in between the Flamsteed house (on the right), and the Great Equatorial dome on the far left (partially obscured by a tree).
The Sheepshanks was operated from the Altazimuth Pavilion from 1963 to 1982.