Johannesburg Observatory

The Observarory was first established in 1903 and was then known as Transvaal Meteorological Department.

It went through a number of name changes until it was closed down in 1972:
Transvaal Observatory 1909 – 1912
Union Observatory 1912 – 1961
Republic Observatory 1961 – 1971

The Observatory’s first piece of astronomical equipment was the Reunert Telescope. It was with this telescope that Robert Innes, founding director of the Observatory, discovered Proxima-centauri (the star closest to our sun) in 1915.

When the observatory was closed down in 1972, the Reunert Telescope was donated to UNISA, where it was installed in the roof-top observatory on the Theo van Wyk building in Pretoria.

SAASTA, acquired the observatory in 2003 and started refurbishing this site to accommodate a multifaceted interactive science awareness facility with a specific focus on astronomy and engineering.

The Reunert Telescope at UNISA was dismantled at the end of 2008 and moved back to the Observatory in Johannesburg. The telescope was re-conditioned and minor upgrades made to its controls.

The telescope was reopened in July 2009 and is currently used by school groups and the general public.