The 38-inch 'Congo Schmidt' telescope, situated in Dome F is open to the public during the day and forms an impressive centrepiece for a beautiful exhibition 'The Domes of Discovery' which tells the story of The Royal Greenwich Observatory.
This is the largest and newest of the telescopes at Herstmonceux but was never used for serious observing. It was built in 1960 for an observatory in the Belgian Congo in Africa, but civil war broke out there before it could be installed. It was eventually brought to Herstmonceux where tests showed that it was unsuitable for use for astronomical research here. As well as being used as a normal reflecting telescope, with its large mirror at the bottom facing up the tube, the telescope could also be converted into a Schmidt telescope.
