Maclear's Beacon

{{Short description|Trig beacon on Table Mountain, South Africa}}

{{Use South African English|date = October 2023}}

{{Infobox Monument

|monument_name = Maclear's Beacon

|native_name =

|caption = Maclear's Beacon on top of Table Mountain

|location = Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

|designer = Thomas Maclear

|type =

|material = Rock

|length =

|width =

|height = {{convert|5|m}}

|begin =

|complete = December 1844

|open =

|dedicated_to = Thomas Maclear

|map_name = Cape Town

|map_caption =

|map_width =

|coordinates ={{coord|-33.966825|18.425562899|type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}}

|lat =

|long =

|extra =

|image=MBea.jpg}}

Maclear's Beacon is a triangulation station used in Maclear's arc measurement for Earth's circumference determination.

The beacon is situated on top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. It is situated on the Eastern end on the plateau of the mountain, roughly 3km from the Cable Car Station.{{Cite web |title=Sir Thomas Maclear's beacon: A history |url=https://www.capetownetc.com/cape-town/sir-thomas-maclears-beacon-a-history/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=www.capetownetc.com}}

The beacon is {{convert|1086|m}} above sea level, {{convert|19|m}} higher than the upper cable car station. The structure consists of man made rock packed in a triangle form, being {{convert|5|m}} high. It was painted in lamp black colour to make it visible, when light shown on it.{{cite news|url= https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/cape-argus/20170831/281517931258168 |title=Jackie examines the history behind Macler's Beacon |newspaper=Cape Argus | date=31 August 2017 |last=Loos|first=Jackie}}

In December 1844, the Astronomer Royal at the Cape, Thomas Maclear,{{cite book|author=Anon|title=The Royal Kalendar, and Court and City Register for England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Colonies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d-sNAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA509|year=1870|publisher=R & A Suttaby|location=London|page=509}} instructed his assistant William Mann to build a beacon in the form of a pile of rocks which would be used to confirm and possibly expand on the existing curvature of the Earth data of Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille. This data was in connection with the Cape arc of the meridian. Initially the beacon had no name but in later years it was named after Maclear.{{Cite web | title = Thomas Maclear | work = South African History Online | date = 17 February 2011 | access-date = 2018-07-26 | url = https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/thomas-maclear }}

In 1929, the pile of stones collapsed and it was restored in 1979 to commemorate the centenary of Maclear's death.

The beacon is still used by cartographers today. It has become a tourist attraction and hiking trails over the mountain pass next to the beacon. It is also a National Monument.{{Cite web | title = Maclear's Beacon: much more than just a mound of rocks | work = tablemountain.net | date = n.d. | access-date = 2018-07-26 | url = https://www.tablemountain.net/blog/entry/maclears_beacon_more_than_just_a_mound_of_rocks }}

File:Maclears beacon table moutain - dec 2023.jpg

File:Maclear's Beacon text.jpg