The published output of the Royal Observatory falls into six categories:
Observations and associated catalogues, Annals, Bulletins and Circulars
Annual Reports
Scientific Papers
The Nautical Almanac and associated tables, along with the later spin off volumes
Notes, Reports, Manuals, house journals, etc
Visitor Guides and material for non-professionals
This section deals with the Notes, Reports, Manuals and house journals.
A magazine style house journal called Gemini was published from 1982–1993, and another called Spectrum from 1994-1998.
The publication of a numbered series of Technical Notes commenced in 1984. By the end of 1987, a total of 51 had been produced. Click here for a list.
A User’s guide was first published in 1983. It was followed in 1984 by a string of other manuals. Some of these exist in more than one version as a result of updating. A list, which includes manuals produced by other groups, can be accessed by clicking here.
The methods used in numbering and dating these reports is currently under investigation. The 1980–85 annual report lists a series of Notes beginning at No. 10 and Reports beginning at No. 15, suggesting that both the notes and reports began to be produced prior to that date. The 1985–1987 annual report appears to indicate that two parallel numbering systems for the Reports were then in existence.
As well as issuing Circulars, the Time Service also published Notices. A series of Technical Notes were also published for the Satellite Laser Ranger (SLR)
A Series of articles relating to the Carlsberg Automatic Meridian Circle on La Palma were issued as joint publications with the Copenhagen University Observatory and the Instituto y Observatorio de Marina (San Fernando). The earliest is dated 1984.
Starting in 1957, these international conferences ran throughout the Herstmonceux years, and continued under the same title at Cambridge. The 39th and final conference was held in July 1998. Publication of the proceedings appears to have begun in 1970 with an internally produced volume. Later volumes were published initially by the Cambridge University Press, and then by a variety of others.
Amongst the miscellaneous publications is a bound set of papers published in conjunction with the Astronomical Measuring Machines Workshop held at Herstmonceux over the period 22–24 August 1984.
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