Yorkshire Gazette Saturday 7th May 1881
York Exhibition
In the space intervening between the central and Great
Halls, a large equatorial mounted telescope which stands 15 feet high is
exhibited by Messrs T Cooke & Sons York opticians, the instrument which is
an object of curiosity with an object glass of 10 inches.
Nature August 5th 1875
The Great Cluster messier 11
As the first special publication of the Observatory of
Hamburg, we have Prof. Helmert’s memoir detailing the results of his
micrometrical observations of the components of this well-known cluster in the
constellation of Aquila or in Clypeum or Scutum Sobieski, as many of the
continental astronomers continue to call that part of the heavens which it is
situate.
The memoir has a particular interest from the circumstance
of Dr Lamont having similarly employed the Munich refractor in the years
1836-39.The investigation of any changes that may take place in the
constituents of these groups of stars, as regards position or brightness,
becomes a very attractive one, and as we know from the excellent work of Heer
Pihl on the Perseus Cluster, it is not one always requiring the use of large
instruments, such as have been employed in the hands of Lamont and Helmert, upon
Messiewr 11.
D’Arrest terms this cluster ”magnifica innumerabilium
stellarum coaservatio”; the amateur will remember Admiral Smyth’s comparison of
the configuration of the components to “
a flight of wild ducks”
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Yorkshire Gazette Saturday 15th May 1880
A York Telescope for Brussels Observatory
Messrs T Cooke & Sons, opticians of this city, had the honour some time ago of receiving an order from the Belgium Government for an equatorial mounting for a telescope with an object glass of 15 inches diameter, which is to be placed in the Royal Observatory Brussels.
The work has just been completed, and the instrument presents a fine specimen of mechanical art and skill. The tube about 21 feet in length, and the stand 13 feet high. The instrument is fitted with all the latest appliances, including clockwork of very delicate construction by which the telescope caused to follow the movement of the star on which it is fixed. The firm expect to pack and forward the instrument towards the end of the month.
York Herald Saturday 15th May 1880
The telescope for the Belgium Government may be inspected by those whose who are interested
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Nature July 29th 1875
A third Comet in 1813?
Bode after mentioning in his miscellaneous Notices (Berl.
Jahrb 1818) that canon Stark of Augsburg had observed the first comet of 1813
on the 19th February, states that Stark had also discovered on the
same evening with a 3.5 feet Dollond telescope, a very small and exceedingly
faint comet without tail above the variable star Mira in Cetus. Cloudy skies
are said to have prevented further observation.
Bode remarks with respect to this comet that it is strange
that no other astronomer had perceived it. However suspicion this circumstance
may have appeared , we know that several of the comets of short period have
been revolving in such orbits for one or two centuries, visiting these parts of
space without doubt under favourable circumstances for observation on more than
one occasion, yet entirely esc aping detection , so that the mere fact of a
single observer only having seen a comet, is hardly a sufficient argument
against its existence.
The late Prof D’Arrest even thought it worthwhile to submit
the reputed observations of the D’Angois-comet of 1784 to further circulation,
notwithstanding Encke’s well know investigation in the “Correspondance
Astronomique” of the Baron de Zach and we may have something to say on this
subject in a future column.
Not having seen any reference to “Starks Comet” in English
astronomical works, we have given the particulars recorded of it here.
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York Herald Wednesday 23rd December 1874
York City and County Bank
The spacious new and enlarged bank offices in Parliament Street, which have been in progress of erection during the last eighteen months, for the use of this company, will be opened to the public for business on Monday morning next. The present bank was erected in 1835.
Below there is ample strong room accommodation which is
connected to the bank by means of ingenious hydraulic lifts, provided by Messrs
T Cooke and Sons.
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A constellation known to the ancient Greeks, it represents a hare cunningly located at the feet of Orion. The Hare was placed in the sky for Orion to Hunt. This was due to the great devastation caused by hares in the island of Sicily.
To the early Arab astronomers Lepus was known as Al Kursiyy
al Jabbar or the Chair of the Giant.
Later the Arab astronomer Al Sufi sometimes called the
constellation Asl Nihal or the Thirst Slacking Camel because of its closeness
to the Milky Way.
Alpha or Arneb which means ‘Hare’ is a magnitude 2.6 star, it is a F class supergiant star lying at a distance of 2,200 light years. It will end its life as a supernova.
Beta or Nihal which means ‘Quenching their Thirst’ is a
magnitude 2.8 star lying at a distance of 160 light years. It is a G class
giant class star.
Epsilon has a brightness of magnitude 3.2 it’s an orange K class
giant star 213 light years away.
R sometimes called Hind's Crimson Star, it’s a well-known variable star. It is named after famous British astronomer J. R. Hind, who observed it in 1845. The colour of R is an intense smoky red and has been described by various observers as resembling a glowing coal, a ruby, or an illuminated drop of Blood. Its magnitude varies from +5.5 to +11.7 with a period of 418–441 days. R lies around 1,300 light years away.
Messier 79
A globular cluster discovered by Messier in 1780 and lying
at a distance of 42,000 light years. It
has a magnitude of 8.6.
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