Isaac Roberts

Isaac Roberts (1829-1904) was a notable Welsh builder and astronomer, renowned for his groundbreaking work in astrophotography. He captured the first clear photograph of the Andromeda Galaxy in 1888, revealing its spiral structure and dark lines, and he designed a revolutionary clockwork mechanism for telescopes that allowed for longer exposures in photography. His contributions significantly advanced the field of astronomy, merging photography with celestial observation, and he was recognized with a gold medal from the Royal Astronomical Society and a D.Sc from Trinity College Dublin.