Built in 1826 by the East India Company, the Colaba Observatory (formerly Bombay Observatory) has endured several structural changes over time, but its defining tower is still intact. The Directorate bungalow in the premises is an architectural wonder. This observatory, India’s oldest, houses some of the earliest and most intricate magnetic observations. Till 1840, it used to be an astronomical observatory after which it was transformed into a magnetic and meteorological observatory. The history of this place has been defined by the history of the men at its helm spanning various time zones.
Arthur Bedford Orlebar, who taught Astronomy at Bombay’s Elphinstone College, was the institution’s first director to record geomagnetism and meteorological observations. The observatory earned high accolades during the directorship of Charles Chambers (1834–1896), thanks to his scientific acumen and astute interpretation of the intricate physics behind the geomagnetic mechanisms. No wonder, he was later inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society.
The untimely demise of Chambers saw Nanabhoy Ardeshir Framji Moos become the first Indian director of the observatory in 1896. Moos had an engineering degree from Poona, as also a Science degree from Edinburgh, Scotland. Seismological observations were introduced during his tenure.
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