Local amateur astronomy

Abstract

Astronomical records relating to the Maltese Islands go back many hundreds of years. The Egyptian scientist Ptolemy placed both Malta and Gozo on his World Maps and included the geographical co-ordinates of four local sites. A Maltese Prior with the Order of Saint John published a book on Astronomy in 1638. Grand Master de Rohan set up an observatory at the Palace, Valletta, and from it the Knight d'Angos discovered a comet on January 22, 1784. In 1852 the English astronomer William Lassell came to observe with a medium-sized telescope from Valletta. He returned in 1861 and spent four years observing the heavens from Tigne, Sliema, using what was then the largest operational telescope in the world. More recently a highly sophisticated solar research station became operational at Tal-Virtu, Rabat, in September 1966 on the initiative of the University of Cambridge. [excerpt]