Saturday, 15 February 2025

Thomas Cooke telescope to Belgrave Sq. London in 1858

 Sir Thomas Cunningham of Eaton Place, Belgrave Square, London purchased in 1858 from Thomas Cooke & Sons a universal 3.5 equatorial telescope. Later in 1859 he purchased from Cookes an equatorial mounting with tangent screw motion on a tripod for the latitude of Great Britain




                                                         www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Friday, 14 February 2025

Mars and Saturn observed from India with a Cooke telescope in 1870

 The Rev J Spear observed Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in 1870 from Chukrata N W Provence's, Bengal using a Thomas Cooke & Sons 4.5 inch telescope.

 He also observed double stars using a Barlow lens more than doubling the telescopes powers.



                                                         www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Thursday, 13 February 2025

Possible TLP seen with a Thomas Cooke telescope in 1867

 TLP’s or Transient Lunar Phenomenon are bright patches which can be seen on the surface of the Moon. They are caused by gas escaping through cracks on th surface of the Moon. The term Transient Lunar Phenomenon seems to have been first used by the TV astronomer Patrick Moore. 

On the 9th April 1867 TGE Elger from Bedford using a Thomas Cooke and Sons of York 4 inch telescope was waiting for the occultation by the Moon of the star 150 Taurus when a bright spot as bright as a 7th magnitude star appeared in the crater Aristarchus. 

The spot was seen from  7h 30 min to about 8h and 15 min and it became much fainter. At 9h it was scarcely visible through the 4 inch telescope. Elger used powers of 75 and 115 on his Cooke telescope. 

Could this be another example of an early observation of a TLP?



                                                         www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Wednesday, 12 February 2025

Solar Eclipses and Valentine's Day

 We are approaching St. Valentine’s Day a very romantic date in the calendar, what could be more romantic than going out for a meal, being given a box of chocolates or a wonderful bunch of flowers or maybe even seeing a Valentine eclipse of the Sun. 

Sadly this year here will be no eclipse of the Sun on Valentine’s Day , the last total eclipse on St Valentine’s Day was in 1934, but if you want to hang on until the next total eclipse of the Sun on this most romantic of dates of the year you will have to wait until either  2306 or 2325.



                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Monday, 10 February 2025

Full Moon on February 12th is the Snow Moon

 The full moon in February is called the Snow Moon. This is the month when we are most likely to see snow and to have the coldest weather of the year.




                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the 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.

Saturday, 8 February 2025

Mercury seen with small Thomas Cooke telescope in 1868 from Hull

On February 15th 1868 at 6.15 pm William Lawton of Hull observed the planet Mercury, it was as he described one of the clearest views he had of that planet. 

Using powers of 50 and up to 100 on the 2 inch Cooke and Sons telescope he was able to observe the gibbous aspect of the planet and also took note of its brilliancy.



                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk