Cooke Telescope Tales - Union Observatory, South Africa

On October 17^th 1963 using the 6 inch Cooke telescope at x300 magnification at the Republic Observatory  in Johannesburg, South Africa astronomers saw the Saturnian moon Iapteus occulted by Saturn. Iapetus was discovered by Cassini in 1671, 

The first dimming occurred at 18h 58 m UT the light was finally extinguished at 19h 07m. These observations were confirmed by the Astronomical Observatory at Madrid. 

The Union Observatory was originally the Meteorological Observatory built in 1905, it became the Union Observatory in 1912, until 1961 and finally the republic Observatory until it closed in 1971.

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A ramble through You Tube constellation - Antlia the Air Pump

 Come for a ramble with me through one of the modern but obscure constellations in the southern hemisphere Antlia the Air Pump 

https://youtu.be/4eR3Vdb6sMc

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A ramble through YouTube constellation - Andromeda

 Come for a ramble with me through one of the prominent autumn constellations, in this episode I will be looking at Andromeda the Princess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwT2j4AFd0s

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A little ramble through the Astronomical Register August 1863 - The Trevandrum Observatory

 We are sorry to hear that the enlightened Rajah of Travancore has ordered this well - known and useful Observatory to be dismantled. No cause is assigned. The late observer, Mr. Allan Brown, has received a retiring pension.

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The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country. 

I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomical societies in the north of England.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio live online at www.drystoneradio.com DAB radio in Bradford and East Lancashire, or 102 and 103.5 FM and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

 

Cooke Telescope Tales - drawings of the Sun in 1865

In the classic handbook of Descriptive Astronomy by G F Chanbers there are drawings  from October 1865 showing a Great Sun Spot. The drawings were made  by Brodie from his observatory at Uckfield in Sussex using  an 8.5 inch Cooke.

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - December meteors in 1876

 Nature January 4^th 1877

Meteors of December 11^th 

M. Perrotin at the observatory of Toulouse, observed a considerable number of meteors on the night of December 11^th, 106 were counted. The majority of which radiated from a point near Pollux and Castor in Gemini. The trajectories were very short, so that it was difficult to refer them to a chart. The sky was overcast the following night.

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