Observatory Quest

Observatory Quest (#43)
Released	17 March 2003 (Update)
Members	Yes
Quest series	None
Lead developer(s)	James B

This quest has a quick guide.

It briefly summarises the steps needed to complete the quest.

The Observatory Quest is a quest where you must help the professor of the observatory repair the structure and restore it to its former glory.

Details

Start point	Talk to the Observatory professor in the Observatory Reception Room north of Castle Wars. <maplink group="pins" align="center" text="<b>Show on map</b>" plane="0" y="3189" x="2441" zoom="2" mapID="-1"> {"features":[{"type":"Feature","geometry":{"coordinates":[2441.5,3187.5],"type":"Point"},"properties":{"mapID":"-1","providerID":0,"description":" X/Y: 2441,3187 ","group":"pins","icon":"greenPin","plane":0,"title":"Start point"}}],"type":"FeatureCollection"} </maplink>
Official difficulty	Intermediate
Official length	Short
Description	The Observatory in south-west Ardougne has been ransacked by a family of nearby goblins. Can you help the professor to rebuild it?
Requirements	None
Items required	3 normal planks Bronze bar Molten glass
Recommended	20 Combat level Ring of dueling to Castle Wars for easy access to the Observatory Antipoison (a 1-dose superantipoison spawns in a house next to the entrance to the Observatory Dungeon) Armour and some food for lower levels Stamina or energy potions 23 Agility, 24 Ranged, 28 Strength (all stats boostable), a crossbow and mith grapple to create a permanent shortcut to the Observatory after completion of the quest.
Enemies to defeat	Goblin guard (level 42) (Optional – can simply be trapped behind a column)
League notes	Kandarin✓ — location requirement

Getting started

Items required: 3 regular planks, a bronze bar, molten glass

Speak with the Observatory professor, located in the reception room of the Observatory (near the Observatory tower) (Minigame Teleport: Castle Wars, ring of dueling or other methods can be used and then travel north). Ask if you can look through the telescope and he says that it's broken. He tells you that a family of goblins has tampered with the telescope, so ask if you can help. He says that he needs some wood for the tripod, bronze for the tube, and glass for a new lens.

Once you have these three items, bring them back to the professor who will take them from you. He then says that he needs a mould so that he can make a new lens.

Note: Make sure to talk to the professor three times and give him the molten glass, bronze bar and three planks before attempting to inspect the stove; otherwise, you will have to lure or kill the guard again for the key.

Retrieving the lens mould

Items required: None.

Recommended: An antipoison potion, energy potions, combat equipment (for lower levels) and food

Note: If you don't have a form of antipoison, you can pick up a superantipoison at a spawn in the corner of the south-eastern building near Greasycheeks and Smellytoes's fire.

Go down the stairs to the east of the reception room to find the Observatory Dungeon (the room with the stairs is directly east of the start point). Once down the stairs, you must find the goblin kitchen key. It is commonly found in the south-eastern most chest although it can vary from person to person. Search any chests you pass on the way to the south-eastern chest just in case. Keep searching the chests (refer to the map) until you find the key. Once you search the correct chest, make sure you complete the dialogue for taking the key or else you will not receive it and will have to return to the chest.

Sometimes there may be a poisonous spider (level 31) inside the chest in which case run away quickly or you may get poisoned.

Now that you've got the key, head to the kitchen gate (take the north-eastern path from the stair entrance and follow it west), and "prod" the sleeping guard (level 42). He will wake up and attack you. You can either defeat him or get him stuck behind a wall.

Note: Getting him stuck behind a wall will allow you to go through the door. However, if you pass the goblin again, you will be attacked. Also, another goblin will spawn asleep. You can fight multiple goblins.

Open the kitchen gate (you will use the key and discard it), and then inspect the goblin stove. You determine the goblins are cooking something foul in the lens mould. Dump out the stew and bring this back to the professor.

His assistant will ask you not to give it to him, as last time the professor attempted to craft something, the explosion took a week to clean up. The professor agrees and gives you back the molten glass and mould.

Use the molten glass with the lens mould to craft him a new lens. Give it back to the professor. He will want you to visit him in the Observatory.

The Observatory

Climb back down the stairs into the Observatory Dungeon. Now, instead of taking the south-east path, follow the north-west passage (past the kitchen) to find some stairs leading to the Observatory (the southern set of stairs on the map). There is also a chest north-east of the stairs to the Observatory, which spawns infinite Antipoison(1) vials, which you can combine to make full vials.

Go up the stairs, and a cutscene will play. After the cutscene ends, go up the stairs and talk to the professor, and then "view" the telescope to see a constellation.

After closing the window, the professor should ask you which constellation you saw. The constellations are on wall charts in the main level of the Observatory. Identify your constellation, talk to the professor again, and you should get your reward in your inventory.

Name & Reward	Picture	Name & Reward	Picture
Aquarius 25 Water runes, uncut sapphire		Aries^[a] 875 Attack experience, uncut sapphire
Cancer Amulet of defence, uncut sapphire		Capricorn^[a] 875 Strength experience, uncut sapphire
Gemini Black 2h sword, uncut sapphire		Leo^[a] 875 Hitpoints experience, uncut sapphire
Libra 3 Law runes, uncut sapphire		Pisces 3 Tuna, uncut sapphire
Sagittarius Maple longbow, uncut sapphire		Scorpio Weapon poison, uncut sapphire
Taurus Super strength(1), uncut sapphire		Virgo^[a] 875 Defence experience, uncut sapphire

^ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Constellations that reward combat experience will not be assigned to players who are level 1 in the corresponding skill.^[1] Beware these constellations can still be assigned to accounts that have started Observatory Quest prior to 8 November 2018, the implementation date of a pure protection mechanism.^[2]

Congratulations, quest complete!

Rewards

2 Quest points
2,250 Crafting experience
Your item reward depends on what astrological sign you see when you look through the telescope. It is different for each person. Each one rewards an uncut sapphire as well as the following:
- Aquarius: 25 water runes
- Aries: 875 Attack experience
- Cancer: An amulet of defence
- Capricorn: 875 Strength experience
- Gemini: A black 2h sword
- Leo: 875 Hitpoints experience
- Libra: 3 law runes
- Pisces: 3 tuna
- Sagittarius: A maple longbow
- Scorpio: Weapon poison
- Taurus: A 1-dose super strength potion
- Virgo: 875 Defence experience
The Spirit of Scorpius will now give you a mould to make unholy symbols, and he will bless them for you too. He can be found in the graveyard north of the Observatory.
Talk to the Observatory assistant after the quest and he will reward you with a jug of wine as well as tell you his and the professor's real name.
Access to the grappling shortcut rock outside the Observatory.
Completing this quest awards the player with 5 Kudos which can be claimed by talking to Historian Minas in the Varrock Museum.

Transcript

This article on a quest has an associated dialogue page.
Click here for a transcript of possible conversations encountered throughout the quest.

Changes

Date	Changes
[[{{#explode:8 November 2018\| \|0}} {{#explode:8 November 2018\| \|1}}]] [[{{#explode:8 November 2018\| \|2}}]] (update)	Constellations that reward combat experience will no longer be assigned to players who are level 1 in the corresponding skill.^[3]

Trivia

If the player talks to the Observatory assistant after the quest, he will give the player a jug of wine as thanks for the help. He will also tell the player his and the professor's real names, which are Patrick and Mambo-duna-roona, respectively.
The professor may give you a chart during or after the quest. Although it is no longer a requirement now, you may still want to keep it for Treasure Trails.
After the quest is completed, the drop rate of mithril bolts from chaos druids and elder chaos druids will be slightly decreased, due to the unholy mould drop that is added to their tables.

References

^ Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 28 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023.
^ Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 30 March 2023. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Mod Ash: "(...) While the game would avoid assigning the sign to a level 3, if you already had the sign from before the restriction existed the XP would still be granted."
^ Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Mod Ash: "[(...) would you happen to know when this pure protection mechanism was put into place roughly?] Turns out it was 8th November 2018."

[protection-3] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Constellations that reward combat experience will not be assigned to players who are level 1 in the corresponding skill.^[1] Beware these constellations can still be assigned to accounts that have started Observatory Quest prior to 8 November 2018, the implementation date of a pure protection mechanism.^[2]

[1] Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 28 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023.

[2] Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 30 March 2023. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Mod Ash: "(...) While the game would avoid assigning the sign to a level 3, if you already had the sign from before the restriction existed the XP would still be granted."

[4] Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Mod Ash: "[(...) would you happen to know when this pure protection mechanism was put into place roughly?] Turns out it was 8th November 2018."

[a]

[1]

[2]

[3]