Transits at Home

The most celebrated observations of the transit of Venus are those which were achieved after long, difficult and often dangerous voyages.
.
But many of the observers’ reports were from more familiar surroundings. Where their location made viewing possible, astronomers at royal, university and private observatories across Europe contributed to the global network of observing stations.
.
There was also a wider public who wanted to take part in the great event. Those with the enthusiasm and equipment observed at home. King George III even had a new observatory specially built so that he could conveniently view the 1769 transit near London.
.
Oxford was an active centre, especially in 1769 when there were six separate observing groups. Although they viewed the event independently in various university and college buildings, their clocks had previously been compared together to give greater consistency to the results.