Observatory vandalised in 1887

 Wallington & Carshalton Herald Saturday 09 July 1887

 

WANTON MISCHIEF ! A DISGRACE TO WALLINGTON.

To the Editor of The Herald 

Sometime night my Observatory was  broken into and the equatorial astronomical telescope mounted there was completely ruined, the object glass,  good one by Wray. Was stolen. and all the adjusting and clamping screws removed and taken away. 

These things, of course, have  little or no value in themselves apart from the instrument, but  without them the whole machine with all its lenses and accessories, which I kept  for greater safety in the house. is utterly useless. Such wanton mischief ought somehow to be exposed. 

I regret to say that this is not the first time I have had reason to complain, for hardly a month has passed during the year without some damage being done to the observatory itself; it is of very light structure. made of wood and covered with the Patent Willesden Card.  and has successfully stood the 'heavy  snow falls and storms of the past winter, but has not been proof against the sticks and stones which has frequently been sent through it. 

The observatory stands in but perhaps too near the footpath across the lavender field from which the  mischief has been done. 

I never expect that my loss can be replaced, it would be no easy matter to get the  missing parts, probably scattered in the lavender field re made, and a new instrument, even if I could afford to buy it, could never have the associations and interesting early study. 

But what can be said for this wanton spirit of destruction, which would have been counted a disgrace, even by the most uncivilised races of the world. 

However let the people of Wallington know what sort they have in their midst to deal with, and be on their guard, for what can be safe?

I am yours faithfully

 

John  H Haslam 

Penden, Wallington, July 5th

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Japanese launch their first weather rocket in 1964

 On July 22^nd 1964 the Japanese launch their first weather rocket, 25 feet long and produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries the vehicle was launched from the National Space Development Centre on Niijima. It reached an altitude of 100 miles.

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The first person to look through a telescope at the Moon was Thomas Harriot, not Galileo

 Everyone knows that Galileo (1564-1642) was the first person to use a telescope to look at the night sky, its what all the astronomy books tell is, right? Actually no that’s wrong!! 

The first person to make a drawing of the Moon was by the English astronomer Thomas Harriot (1560-1621). Harriot made his drawing on July 26^th 1609 Galileo made his on November 30^th 1609, four months before Galileo. So what’s going on? 

I am not only the Rambling Astronomer, I also find myself sometimes becoming an astro- detective trying to solve astronomical mysteries. 

Here is one of those mysteries: 

Harriot by the time he observed the Moon was was already a well know scientist and mathematician. He was supported in his work by the Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy, a cousin of one of the gun powder plotters. In fact Harriot would get arrested for a short while. He was trying to keep a low profile at this time he did not want to get labelled as on of the gunpowder plotters so shouting and drawing attention to himself about making the first astronomical observation through a telescope would presumably attracted some attention. It could of course be the wrong kind of attention. He seemed happy with his observations and left it at that. 

Harriot died in 1621 and his papers seem to get lost, they were not re discovered until 1784 by Franz Xaver Zach an Austrian astronomer. He was appointed as tutor to the son of Count de Bruhl who was sent to England as Saxon Minister. While in England Zach visited the Egremont estates in Petworth in Sussex which had been part of the country estate of the Duke of Northumberland. Zach found Harriot’s manuscripts hidden among of all things the stable accounts. 

Franz Xaver Zach would go onto form the celestial police trying to locate an imaginary planet between Mars and Jupiter. He planned to form a group of astronomers who would be known as the  the celestial police, however  before they started observing the Italian astronomer Piazzi discovered beat them too it. He discovered  the first minor planet or asteroid, Ceres on January 1^st 1801.This area of the solar system is what is now know today as the asteroid belt. Ceres has since been reclassified as as a dwarf planet. 

Zach forwarded Harriot’s papers onto Oxford University in 1794 but due to a catalogue of errors Harriot's achievements including his  observation of the Moon were never published and he never got the credit he deserved. Today however scholars are trying to give Harriot the credit he is due for his observations of amongst other things the Moon. 

So the next time you read an astronomy book that says it was Galileo who made the first astronomical drawing while looking through a telescope it wasn’t .That credit should go to Thomas Harriot, a somewhat forgotten English astronomer. 

Or were there even earlier observations that have either been lost or have not yet been found?.

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The Astronomy Show

 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 A-Z of Constellations .

 

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio live on line 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.

The Bazeley Cooke telescope and Joseph Baxendell

 In July 1867 the polymath Thomas Bazeley purchased a 6 inch telescope from Thomas Cooke & Sons, the telescope cost £365 (today this would be over £45,000) . In 1877 Bazeley donated the telescope to Joseph Baxendell.

 

Baxendell was a prolific variable star observer and in fact discovered around 20 new variable stars, including the nova T Corona Borealis in 1866, this would later become known as the Blaze Star because it went novae again in 1846.

 

This 6 inch Cooke would allow him to continue his variable star work. Bazley also supplied the timber structure for the telescope. Baxendell renamed his house at 14, Liverpool Road, Birkdale, The Observatory.

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First comet to be discovered during a solar eclipse in 418CE

 On July 19^th 418 CE the first reported discovery of a comet during an eclipse of the Sun. The comet was seen by the historian Philostorgius from Constantinople. The comet itself would then be observed for around four months afterwards.

The eclipse was visible from the Caribbean and ended in Northern India.

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Cooke equatorial mounting for Cambridge in 1868

 The Rev William Kinglsey of Cambridge in 1858 ordered a  Universal equatorial mounting to carry a foot tube, with a 3 and 5/8 inch diameter.

I think that the Rev Kingsley invented an illuminator to be used with the microscope. It was I believe first used commercially by Andrew Ross around 1848.

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