A little ramble through You Tube - Aries the Ram

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A constellation that dates to ancient times, in legend Aries represented the Ram whose golden fleece was sought by Jason and the Argonauts. Despite not being a very bright constellation, it has assumed great importance in astronomy, because around 2,000 years ago it contained the point where the Sun passed from south to north across the celestial equator each year. This point, the vernal equinox marked the start of spring in the northern hemisphere.

 

Cooke telescope Tales - Great Comet of 1882 seen from India

The great comet of 1882 was first seen in September of that year and was observed and photographed by astronomers all around the world. This included from India. 

On September 25^th 1882 H Collett from Lahore, the Punjab, India observed the comet with a 4.5 inch Cooke telescope. At 04 hours and 50 minutes local time the comet was estimated to be about 14 degrees long and of unusual breadth. The borders of the tail appear much brighter that the central part.

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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.

A little ramble through the Astronomical Register March 1864 - Kappa Cancri

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ASTRONOMICAL REGISTER.

 Sir, -May I submit the following suggestion (if not already made), as a possible explanation of the gradual disappearance of Kappa Cancri, which has been again noticed in your columns. During an occultation of Jupiter some years since, a part of his disc was seen partially obscured, as if by a collection of vapour in a lunar hollow. If Kappa Cancri were occulted by such a " fog - sea, " it appears to me that its gradual disappearance would be accounted for, and also the variation in its duration, according to the aperture used, the larger aperture allowing the star to be seen through a thicker stratum of fog. Of course, to an observer so situated as to see the occultation at a solid part of the moon's disc, it would appear instantaneous as usual. I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

Oxford, Jan. 7th, 1864. 

W. H. WHEELER.

 

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Cooke Telescope Tales - Cooke 25 inch lens tested in 1867

On November 5^th 1867 the 25 inch object glass which had been so long in the making by Thomas Cooke of York was completed. This was the largest object glass to that date.  It was tested on the double star gamma 2 Andromeda and the stars were seen most distinctly divided and with the spurious disks of the three stars of the system perfectly round.

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A little ramble through You Tube - Ara the Altar

 https://youtu.be/BnY9E1N6vA8

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There are 88 constellations in the night sky, 48 are regarded as classical in that they were known to the astronomers living thousands of years ago. The other 40 are called modern. These were added during the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s.Many are in the southern hemisphere which were unknown to Europeans.

People tend to use the Greek myths and legends with the classical constellations; the modern ones have no myths or legends attached to them.

Most of the star names used are Arabic

 

Cooke Telescope Tales - Newall refractor in 1964

In early 1964 the 25 inch Refractor was used at the Penteli observatory in Athens to allow astronomers to make drawings of the planet Jupiter. There were some very good drawings of the Great Red Spot. 

The Newall Telescope was originally made for Robert Newall in Gateshead in the north east of England in 1870. In 1885 it was donated to the observatory at Cambridge and in 1957 it was donated to the Penteli Observatory in Athens. The telescope is still in use today at the Penteli Observatory.

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