Placing astronomy: landscape, space and science at Armagh Observatory, 1790-1916.

This project takes a geographical approach to the history of science in order to situate the often cutting-edge research carried out within the confines of the Observatory building into its wider regional landscape and beyond, and in doing so explores its ecclesiastical and civic connections to the provincial city of Armagh, itself. The project also investigates how the institution’s unique location impacted on the science conducted there and, indeed, how the science in turn influenced the surrounding area, as well as more distant locales.

These objectives have been realised through the division of this thesis into four distinct but inter-related chapters that firstly address the reasons why an observatory was chosen to be situated in Armagh and, secondly, explores what form it would take and how it would be embedded into its surrounding landscape. Thirdly, the ability of scientific instruments to transmit authority from their place of origin to a new, fledgling scientific institution is analysed.