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The item is a 6 inch transit circle. The transit circle is an instrument used to determine the declination of stellar onjects. It consists of a circular scale kept perpendicular to the rotating axis of a telescope tube.

This item was an instrument used in surveying land, alignment, testing, and calibrating optical Instruments. It is basically a refracting telescope. Whose optical elements tilt angles with high accuracy of the order of arcsecs.

This item was a stellar object requires two coordinates to locate it on the sky, as the sky is a two-dimensional plane. One of these coordinates known as declination. This is similar to the two co-ordinates viz. latitude and longitude, defining a point on the surface of the earth. The transit circle is an instrument used to determine the declination of stellar onjects. It consists of a circular scale kept perpendicular to the rotating axis of a telescope tube.

The fond contains Results of observations of the fixed stars made with the Meridian Circle at the Government Observatory , Madras

The fond contains Result of astronomical observations made at the honourable, the East India company's Observatory at Madras volume 1 to 5.

This item was a optical instrument named as Stereoscope. Stereoscopes are apparently those optical devices that help to view the two images separately and with relaxed eyes. There are two types of stereoscopes as: lens or pocket stereoscopes and mirror stereoscopes. Lens or pocket stereoscopes are great for viewing the whole overlap area of prints up to 9 cm × 13 cm or parts of larger patterns. On the other hand, mirror stereoscopes were designed to accept standard 23 cm × 23 cm metric air photos and work well with A4/US letter-sized prints. Most models come with magnifying options up to eight times, which is pretty impressive. One cool thing about mirror stereoscopes is that they are large enough to allow the analyst to draw beneath them, so it is possible to trace objects identified in the stereoview with a pen onto one of the images or a transparent overlay. However, it's important to remember that this sketch wouldn't have the geometric properties of a map as it contains all distortions present in the base image.

The album contains photographs taken during the unveiling ceremony of the bicentennial plaque at IIA Bangalore campus on 06 January 1987. The bicentennial plaque was unveiled by Prof M. G. K. Menon, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), to commemorate the bicentennial of the setting up an observatory at Madras by Wiliam Petrie in 1786 to which the Indian Institute of Astrophysics traces the origin.

The album contains photographs of an exhibition conducted during the bicentennial of Madras Observatory at IIA campus on December 6, 1986. It can be seen that hundreds of photos and astronomical equipment showcasing the history of 200 years were displayed by the library team for the public.

The album contains photos and observations related to Norman Robert Pogson, an English astronomer who worked in India at the Madras Observatory as a Government astronomer from 1861 to 1891. He undertook observations of comets and found numerous minor planets. The album starts with a photograph of Norman Robert Pogson, who had signed it himself. Images of the Madras Observatory and Kodaikanal Observatory, as well as photos of Pogsons's Grave and brass plaque at St. George's Cathedral, Madras, are also archived in this album. In addition, copies of the critical astronomical observations undertaken by N. R. Pogson. A copy of the catalogue for the observation of the minor planet 'Asia', a hand-painted solar spectrum of the total Solar Eclipse in 1868, a copy of the title page of observations of the fixed stars made with the meridian circle and a title page of variable star catalogue. The photographs in this album were collected and presented to Ms. Cherry Amstrong, the great-great-granddaughter of Norman Robert Pogson, during her visit to the Kodaikanal Observatory on 16th February 2006.

The album contains photos of Norman Robert Pogson, an English astronomer who worked in India at the Madras Observatory as a Government astronomer during 1861-1891. He undertook observations of comets and found numerous minor planets. Pictures of his father, wife, and children, as well as old photos of Madras and Kodaikanal Observatory, are archived here. Images of C. R. Ragunathachary, who worked with Norman Robert Pogson, can be seen in this album. Some photos are related to his private observatory, Hartwell House, in England.