A Cooke telescope for Cambridge in 1866

 In 1866 Rev Henry Boys of Jesus College, Cambridge purchased from Thomas Cooke & Sons, a telescope with a lens which I believe had a diameter of 4.5 inches. The telescope came with a leather case and was being given as a prize.

The instrument came with 6 eyepieces, prism, dark glasses, micrometer &c, divisions on glass, a clip to fix to window sill.

About all I know regarding The Rev Boys is that he died in 1870, he had become a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1866 but there is no mention of him in the obituaries.

A Cooke Telescope for Rotherham

 In South Yorkshire, Jonathan Booth of Moorgate, Rotherham purchased a 4 inch educational telescope on a mounting with latitude adjustment. This telescope was purchased from Thomas Cooke & Sons in 1865.

As is often the case I unfortunately have no other information on Jonathan Booth or if he made an astronomical observations with this telescope.

Two Thomas Cooke Telescopes and a Murder?

This is the story of the man who brought 2 Cooke telescopes, changed his name and was possibly murdered.

Henry John Tuberville who was formerly known as Henry John Blackmore was something of an eccentric with a taste for science and in particular astronomy. He was the elder brother of Richard Doddridge Blackmore who wrote ‘Lorna Doone’

As Henry Blackmore in April 1865 he brought a 4.5 inch educational telescope from Thomas Cooke & Sons and in October 1866 as Henry Tuberville he brought a 5.5 inch telescope with a finder, 6 eyepieces, sun prism on an equatorial mounting, strong but as light as possible, on a stout polished mahogany stand. With both telescopes his address was the village of Pilton near Barnstable in Devon.

He changed his name in 1865 it appears due to some family issues, Tuberville was a Catholic family name and he appears to have changed his name with the aim of offending his Church of England relatives.

I cannot find as yet any evidence of any astronomical observations he made or whether he was a member of any astronomical societies in Devon. I also have no idea what happened to his two Cooke telescopes.

Henry Blackmore was born in Berkshire in 1824, his father John Blackmore would become the vicar of Ashford near Barnstable in Devon. In 1857 he inherited some money after an uncle died, and by the time of his death had amassed a fortune of £20,000 which today is worth £2.4 million.

In 1875 when he was 51 Henry Tuberville started to visit Yeovil in Somerset where he became engaged to Elizabeth Maggs who was 23 and the daughter of a chemist Thomas Maggs, he had made several wills the last in 1875 he left everything to Thomas Maggs and his family. There were not surprisingly many objections to the will.

He was taken poorly on August 16^th 1875 and as he was a chemist Thomas Maggs was called in to see him, he apparently had a great pain in his leg, the following day he died. The physician Dr. Allridge stated that Tuberville had taken potassium cyanide, although it was never decided how he hot this poison. In the end a jury decided that in a state of unsound mind Tuberville had taken the potassium cyanide.

His brother Richard, believed that Henry had been murdered and tried to get the inquest re opened in this he failed. The mystery is still there today did he commit suicide or was he murdered?

John Couch Adams and a Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope stand

Thomas Cooke & Sons of York had a very interesting number of celebrated and famous customers. In 1859 John Couch Adams of the discovery of Neptune fame ordered a universal portable equatorial stand of best construction to carry a telescope of 3.5 inch aperture.

As far as I know the telescope was not made by Thomas Cooke, but I do not have any further information regarding this telescope. Maybe if he had it in 1846 he could have looked for the planet we now call Neptune!!

Christmas Accident at Cooke Works

 On December 28^th 1866 the son of Mr W Tindall printer of Fulford Road, York an apprentice with Messrs Cooke and Sons Opticians, of this city, lost his right thumb which was taken completely off by a portion of the machinery whilst he was engaged in his ordinary occupation.

The Astronomy Show

 Join me, Martin Lunn tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, 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 and Astronomy in Yorkshire - God’s Own Country.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio 102 and 103.5 FM the show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and the show can be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

First Phonograph in York displayed by T Cooke & Sons in 1878

At this time of year Christmas music is being played everywhere on CDs records and streaming but the first phonograph or record player as it would become known was not invented until 1877 by Thomas Edison.

The following year on the 17^th December 1878 the first phonograph to be seen in York was exhibited at the Kenrick Rooms, Spen Lane in York by Messrs T Cooke and Sons. Permission had been obtained by Cooke and Sons from the London Stereoscopic Company who had purchased the British patent from Mr Thomas Edison the inventor.

The phonograph was explained by Mr Cox-Walker of Cooke and Sons. Briefly the phonograph consists of a brass cylinder, around which turns a spiral grove. The operator speaks into a mouthpiece upon a thin diaphragm, exactly like a telephone, to which a metal point is attached. The cylinder is covered with tin foil, and the point being in connection, and the handle turned while the operator is speaking, the point runs in the groove and makes a number of indentations in the tin foil corresponding to the vibrations of the diaphragm caused by the voice. On turning the reverse way the sounds are reproduced, the indentations in the tin foil, acting upon the metal point, causing the diaphragm to vibrate and communicate its motion to the air.

The singing is very distinct but the reproduced words of a speaker are somewhat thick, though the result is marvellous in the extreme. Two instruments were exhibited, one working by clock work and the other by hand. By the former the tone is reproduced more correctly, owing to the greater regularity in the turning of the instrument.

A Cooke Telescope in Midlothian

 Thomas Bauchope 1823-1889 was born at Brucefield in Midlothian, he succeeded his father as factor or property manager on several estates in Midlothian. His main leisure interest was in the sciences and in particular astronomy.

He had an observatory in his garden with a 4 inch Cooke telescope. His telescope is listed as a Cooke rather than a Cooke and Sons which suggests that the telescope is a pre 1857 model. He contributed a series of articles on astronomy to a local paper. He was known to try to encourage working class people to take an interest in either astronomy or another science.

Thomas Bauchope died on December 8^th 1889 and his telescope was offered for sale at £70 which at today’s price that would be over £9,000.

Geminids 2022

 It was cold last night (Dec 13th) but I managed to last for an hour watching the Geminids.  I saw 18 between 22.14 and 22.17.

The fairly bright waxing moon did not help and I am sure it would have affected seeing conditions much more the higher it got in the sky. It was the cold that did it for me. When I started the temperature was -6.8'C and when I finished it was -7.5'C. I live between Skipton and Colne the Lancashire/Yorkshire border.

Alas as I get older I am not able to stay out in the cold air for as long as I could when I was younger. In those days I would have spent the whole night watching the Geminids despite  the cold. 

But at least I gave it a go!!

Sir William Keith Murray and the 9 inch Cooke Telescope

 On December 11^th 1858 Sir William Keith Murray (1801-1861) of Ochertyre near Crieff in Scotland purchased a 9 inch telescope from Thomas Cooke of York. The telescope was massive and had a tube that was 13 feet long and was mounted on a stone pier 9 feet and 3 inches tall. Up until this point in time it was the largest telescope that Cooke had constructed and it was also at the time the largest refractor in Scotland.

The weather conditions were often poor at the location of the observatory and Murray was only able to use the Cooke for a short period before his death in 1861. Following his death the telescope was offered for sale unfortunately with no initial interest.

In 1863 a number of gentlemen raised £1,120 ( today this would be £166,300) to purchase the telescope for the observatory at Glasgow University. It was sited at the Horselethill Observatory and used there until 1939 when the building was demolished. The 9 inch was always referred to as the 9 inch Ochertyre Telescope.

Following the demolition of the Horselethill Observatory a new student observatory was built in the University Gardens to house the 9 in Cooke. This was closed in 1969 after which I don’t know what happened to the 9 inch Cooke Ochtertyre Telescope.

The Astronomy Show

Join me, Martin Lunn tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, 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 and Astronomy in Yorkshire - God’s Own Country.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio 102 and 103.5 FM the show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and the show can be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

Wold Cottage Meteorite December 13th 1795

 This is the oldest known British meteorite in ‘captivity’ in a museum. It would prompt the first full scale investigation into meteorites.

The meteorite fell at around 3.00 o’clock on December 13^th 1795 in a field near the Wold Cottage in the East Riding of Yorkshire on land which was owned by Major Edward Topham. The fall was observed by several people and landed a few yards from ploughman John Shipley.

A sound like gunfire was heard by people who thought that French warships were bombarding Bridlington. Britain was at war with France at the time. People described seeing a dark object passing through the air.

The meteorite weighed about 56pounds (25kg) and made a hole 19 inches deep passing through 12 inches of top soil and 7 inches of chalk. The meteorite is a L6 chondrite the second most common type of meteorite. It is what astronomers call a stone meteorite although about 25% of the meteorite will still be made of iron.

Topham erected a plinth in 1799 to mark the site of the meteorite fall, he didn’t keep the meteorite. In 1804 he sold it to James Sowerby for 10 guineas or £10.50 in today’s money. That £10.50 today is worth around £1,333. In 1837 Sowerby sold the meteorite to the British Museum for £250. A substantial amount in its day which would be worth £31,110.

The plinth says On this spot December 13^th 1795 fell from the atmosphere and extraordinary stone. In breadth 28 inches, In length 30 inches which weighed 56 pounds.

This column in memory of it was erected by Edward Topham 1799

Only 20.6 of the 25 kg made it to the British Museum to be part of their collection. The remainder is believed to have been broken off and given away prior to acquisition.

Geminid meteors seen from Huddersfield in 1901

 Mr C L Brook from Meltham near Huddersfield saw 19 meteors on the 11^th December 1901 of which 11 were Geminids. On the following night December 12th he saw a further 25 meteors which  included 17 Geminids. There were no further reports from Mr Brook for the Geminids for 1901 .

Asteroid 1899 FD discovered at Lick Observatory with 36 inch Crossley telescope

The Asteroid 1899 or 452 Hamiltonia was discovered by James Keeler using the 36 inch Crossley Reflector at Lick Observatory on December 6^th 1899. The asteroid is named for Mount Hamilton where Keeler was working and where the Lick Observatory is located. 1899 FD was the last asteroid discovered in the 19^th century.

The 36 inch reflector had been owned by Edward Crossley of Halifax, Yorkshire who owned Crossley Carpets the largest carpet manufacturer in the world in the 19^th century. He purchased it in the 1880s from A. A. Common of Ealing, London. Although it was at the time the largest reflector in England due to the poor observing conditions in the skies over Halifax which was due to the pollution from the many factories in Halifax it was impossible to use the telescope to its best.

In the mid 1890s he donated the telescope to the new Lick Observatory in California. During the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries the Crossley reflector at Lick proved to be a real trail blazing telescope leading in astronomical research in many different areas. It was also the largest reflector in America until the building of the 100 inch telescope at Mount Hamilton.

The 1908 Eclipse of the Moon seen from Manchester

 On Monday 7^th December 1908 a penumbral eclipse of the Moon was seen from Manchester. A penumbral eclipse differs from the total lunar eclipse in that the Moon passes into the penumbra or secondary shadow of the Earth, without coming into contact with the deeper cone.

The eclipse on December 7^th was fairly well observed from the point of vantage of the Godlee Observatory in Manchester, this was thanks to the absence of the astronomer's ‘bete noir’ -the fog. 

The first contact was due at 7.53 pm and the last at 12.12 am. The middle of the eclipse was registered at 9.55 pm at which the Moon was only 100^th part of its diameter away from the main shadow.

W H Maw and two Cooke Telescopes

 William Henry Maw (1836 – 1924) was born in Scarborough on December 6^th 1836, when he was growing up he was friends with the sons of Dr Harland, two who would become the founders of the Harland & Wolf ship builders. Both his parents died when he was in his teens, without influences and an advantage of a higher education he was still able to raise himself to become a leading authority in the fields of mechanics and engineering.

His leisure time was however devoted to astronomy. In Kensington, London in 1887 he built an observatory for his 6 inch Cooke telescope which he used to study the Moon.

 Later from 1897 when he lived in Surrey he built an observatory for a larger 8 inch Cooke telescope. This had originally been owned by the Rev R W Dawes and would later be located at the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge and known as the Thorrowgood Telescope.

W H Maw made extensive observations of double stars using both Cooke telescopes. In particular the double stars from the Struve catalogue. His observations were considered to be very accurate. Maw was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and one of the founders of the British Astronomical Society.

The Astronomy Show

Join me, Martin Lunn tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, 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 and Astronomy in Yorkshire - God’s Own Country.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio 102 and 103.5 FM the show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and the show can be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

Asteroid 718 Erida discovered at Lick Observatory using the 36 inch Crossley telecope

On December 3rd 1910 Dr Curtiss and Miss Young using the 36 inch Crossley telescope discovered the asteroid 718 Erida. Dr Curtiss took the photograph and it was then discovered by Miss Young checking the photograph. The asteroid has a diameter of about 70 km, with an orbital period of 5.3 years.

The 36 inch reflector had been owned by Edward Crossley of Halifax, Yorkshire who owned Crossley Carpets the largest carpet manufacturer in the world in the 19^th century. He purchased it in the 1880s from A. A. Common of Ealing, London. 

Although it was at the time the largest reflector in England due to the poor observing conditions in the skies over Halifax which was due to the pollution from the many factories in Halifax it was impossible to use the telescope to its best.

In the mid 1890s he donated the telescope to the new Lick Observatory in California. During the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries the Crossley reflector at Lick proved to be a real trail blazing telescope leading in astronomical research in many different areas. It was also the largest reflector in America until the building of the 100 inch telescope at Mount Hamilton.

The 36 inch Crossley telescope, Lick Observatory and Jupiter's moon Himalia

 On December 3^rd 1904 Charles Perrine using the 36 inch Crossley reflector at the Lick Observatory in California discovered the 6^th moon of Jupiter, Himalia. The moon was named after a nymph on the island of Rhodes and according to Greek mythology she was one of the lovers of Zeus.

Himalia is the 5^th largest moon of Jupiter it has a radius of 85 km and lies at a distance of 11.5 million km for Jupiter and takes 251 Earth days to complete one orbit of Jupiter.

The 36 inch reflector had been owned by Edward Crossley of Halifax, Yorkshire who owned Crossley Carpets the largest carpet manufacturer in the world in the 19^th century. He purchased it in the 1880s from A. A. Common of Ealing, London. Although it was at the time the largest reflector in England due to the poor observing conditions in the skies over Halifax which was due to the pollution from the many factories in Halifax it was impossible to use the telescope to its best.

In the mid 1890s he donated the telescope to the new Lick Observatory in California. During the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries the Crossley reflector at Lick proved to be a real trail blazing telescope leading in astronomical research in many different areas. It was also the largest reflector in America until the building of the 100 inch telescope at Mount Hamilton.

Observations of Jupiter by Mr Ormesher in Manchester in 1870

 Mr Henry Ormesher in Manchester using his 5.25 inch refractor witnessed several eclipses of Jupiter’s satellites between November 22^nd and December 6^th 1870. 

In addition between November 30^th and December 6^th 1870 he observed two dusky spots on the disk of |Jupiter again using his 5.25 inch telescope. I don't know the maker of his telescope.

Isaac Roberts, Photographs of Nebula and a Cooke Telescope

 In Monthly Notices, LXIII, 1, Dr Isaac Roberts contributes a most valuable and startling paper on the subject of 52 regions observed as nebulous by Sir William Herschel. These regions were photographed using both the 20 inch reflector and 5 inch Cooke & Sons refractor. The surprising result is that in only 4 out of the 52 regions is any nebulosity found.

The Astronomy Show

 Join me, Martin Lunn tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, 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 and the Messier Marathon.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio 102 and 103.5 FM the show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and the show can be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

Northern Lights seen over Liverpool in 1872

 The aurora display of November 27^th 1872 appears not to attract that much attention because it occurred on the same night that as the spectacular Andromedid meteor shower, which was the remains of comet Biela burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Samuel Barber of Liverpool commented about the aurora and described it as merely a hazy or diffused cloudy light, devoid of both colouring and symmetry of form. He went on to say that he had observed this variety of aurora on several occasions but it appears to attract few observers.

The Andromedid Meteor Shower

 J M Boraston on the steamer Don on the night of November 23/24 1891 made observations of Andromedid meteors from location Long 72’ West Lat 17’ North, the sky was very clear with no Moon.

Mr Boraston states that the heavens were alive with meteors. Several were seen as faint, swift and long tracked and for 6 hours the average number of meteors was estimated at 108 per minute or 6,480 per hour.

The Cooke 25 inch telescope is used to look at Jupiter's moon Amalthea

 On January 24^th and February 4^th 1893 Mr Newall using the 25 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope at the new observatory at Cambridge observed the 5^thsatellite of Jupiter.

(I assume by the 5^thsatellite he means Amalthea which was discovered by Barnard in 1892)

Mr Newall remarked that it has been most justly described as a very difficult object to see.

In 1891 the Cooke 25 inch telescope was moved to Cambridge

 By November 1891 the 25 inch Newall Telescope and dome are all but completely mounted on their new site at Cambridge.

Mr H F Newall son of Mr R Newall who purchased the 25 inch telescope from Thomas Cooke & Sons has built himself a house close by, whence he has been superintending the project.

Jupiter seen with no moons from Liverpool with a Cooke telescope

 On August 22^nd 1867, John Joynson at Waterloo near Liverpool observed Jupiter with no satellites visible. This was done using a 6 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope.

The Astronomy Show

Join me, Martin Lunn tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, 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 and the Messier Marathon.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio 102 and 103.5 FM the show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and the show can be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

Venus seen through a Cooke telescope in Manchester which is now in New Zealand

 A drawing of Venus was made at the observatory of Mr Chatwood at Worsley, Manchester in 1901 using his 9.75 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope. This had originally been owned by Isaac Fletcher of Cumberland.

The telescope would in 1902 be purchased by J T Ward for the newly formed Wanganui Astronomical Society in New Zealand.

The telescope is sometimes referred to as a 9.5 or 9.75 inch telescope and just to add extra confusion when ordered it was supposed to be a 9 inch telescope.

George Airy in Cambridge and Mr Joynson in Liverpool see the Occultation of Aldebaran

The occultation of Aldebaran in 1867 was observed by Mr Airy who remarked that the star did not come out bright instantaneously but was 38 seconds regaining its full light.

Whereas Mr Joynson in Liverpool with his 3.5 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope described the star as sliding on the Moon’s disk at the immersion but re appearing instantaneously

Will Hay, Nova Puppis 1942 and a Cooke telescope

 Will Hay is best remembered as a comedian of the stage and in films in the 1930s and 1940s. He was also a very competent astronomer who discovered a white spot on Saturn in 1933 using a 6 inch Cooke telescope. He also observed Nova Puppis 1942 with a Cooke this time a 3.5 inch telescope.

Observing from London early in the morning of November 24^th 1942 and using his 3.5 inch Cooke he saw the nova. He had seen it a few days earlier on November 14^th as a naked eye object of around magnitude 3.5. By November 24^th it had faded and a telescope was needed to see it.

It was very close to the horizon and he estimated the brightness of the nova as between magnitude 4 and 5 but as he commented being so close to the horizon it is difficult to estimate the brightness of a star so low in the sky due to the amount of atmosphere the light has to pass through.

Will Hay was also struck by the red colour of the nova. He checked other stars nearby of about the same brightness and they appeared to be their normal colours suggesting that the redness was in the nova itself.

Nova Puppis was discovered by Bernhard Dawson at the La Plata Observatory in Argentina on November 8^th 1942. It reached a maximum magnitude of 0.3 on November 10^th 1942.

The 1940 transit of Mercury seen from Australia with a Cooke telescope

 On November 11^th 1940 a transit of Mercury was visible from Britain , that same transit was also visible from Australia on November 12^th due to the different time zones.

A transit of Mercury occurs when the planet passes in front of the Sun as seen from Earth. Mercury can then be seen as a dark spot slowly moving across the Sun. Although not as scientifically important as transits of Venus, transits of Mercury still attract a lot of attention. The most recent was in 2019 the next will be in 2032.

The Transit of November 12^th 1940 was seen by Mark Howarth at the Grange Mount Observatory, Newcastle New South Wales, Australia. A Cooke 4.5 inch telescope was used with a solar diagonal of power x 80. Weather conditions were good, especially at times of the beginning and ending of the transit.

A slight haze made it impossible to obtain satisfactory photographs. The temperature at the time of the transit was 92 degrees F. or if you prefer 33 degrees C.

Occultation of star 73 Pisces seen from India through a Cooke telescope

 The occultation of the star 73 Pisces by Jupiter was observed from Meean Meer, Lahore, India on December 23^rd 1880 by H Collett using a 4.5 inch Cooke telescope with a power of 96.

At 01 hours, 52 minutes, 30seconds GMT the star was hanging on the limb of the planet and by 01 hour and 54 minutes it had entirely disappeared. The phenomenon strongly resembled the occultation of a satellite except the disappearance was more rapid. The planet and star appeared to cohere for about 1.5 minutes.

No micrometer was used. The GMT of reappearance was 02 hour, 44 minutes when the star was again observed to hang onto the planet’s limb. The planet was well placed for observation being near the zenith.

Before and after the occultation Jupiter appeared as if with 5 moons, the star being almost indistinguishable from the satellites.

As the occultation could not be observed in Europe these few notes may prove to be of some interest.

John Franklin Adams Star Charts and Cooke Cameras

John Franklin Adams photographed the entire night sky between 1904 and 1909 from Godalming in Surrey for the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere was photographed from South Africa. He used a 10 inch Cooke camera and two 6 inch Cooke cameras.

In 1913 the Royal Astronomical Society undertook to publish a small number of the Franklin Adams Charts. The 206 photographic plates covered the entire sky. Each plate covered an area 15 degrees by 15 degrees.

The reproductions were on bromide paper 15 inches by 12 inches with the plate area being 11inches by 11 inches. The cost of each set will be 10 guineas. If we convert that today's prices in 2022 this would be over £1,400!!

It is hoped that a sufficient number of subscribers will be enlisted to help to defray the cost of such an expensive undertaking. It is hoped that they will be ready in 1914.

Today the Franklin Adams Charts are still use by astronomers due to their quality and their historical reference to the night sky over 100 years ago.

The Astronomy Show

Join me, Martin Lunn tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, 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 and the Messier Marathon.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio 102 and 103.5 FM the show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and the show can be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

Great Comet of 1882 seen from India with a Cooke Telescope

 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.

Delta 3 Taurus seen through a Cooke telescope from Liverpool

On November 9^th 1870 John Joynson of Waterloo in Liverpool observed an occultation of delta 3 Tauri. Delta 3 is one of the members of the Hyades cluster of stars that are near to Aldebaran in Taurus. Joynson was using a 6 inch Cooke telescope.

According to Joynson the Moon passed over this star and the disappearance took place at 11 hours, 19 minutes and 11.3 seconds. The star reappeared at 12 hours 16 minutes and 50.7 seconds. The observations were considered very satisfactory.

A Dark Transit of Titan seen with a Cooke from Australia

 On November 5^th / 6^th 1907 Mr A B Cobham and Mr G D Hirst using a 4.5 inch Thomas Cooke & Son telescope in Australia saw a dark spot on Saturn. This was afterwards ascertained to be Titan.

They also both commented that they caught glimpse of the edge of the ring at flashes, the impression indicating the extreme fineness and delicacy of the rings when seen edgewise.

The Astronomy Show

 Join me, Martin Lunn tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, 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 and the Messier Marathon.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio 102 and 103.5 FM the show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and the show can be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

The Cooke 25 inch Lens Tested

On November 5^th 1867 the 25 inch object glass or lens 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.

The telescope would not be completed until 1870, by which time sadly Thomas Cooke had died.

Comet Brooke and the Crossley Reflector

James Keeler at the Lick Observatory in California used the 36 inch reflector telescope which had been presented to the Lick Observatory by Mr Crossley of Halifax, Yorkshire  in 1896 into fair working order and employed it in photographing the comet discovered by Mr Brooke on October 20^th 1898.

Keeler obtained photographs on 11 consecutive nights from November 4^th to November 14^th. After this the work was discontinued by the twilight and the construction of the mounting for the telescope the maximum exposure for the photographs had been reduced to 13 minutes.

The best photograph was taken on November 5^th and on appearance the comet resembled comet b 1894 Gale, the tail measured only about .75 of a degree long and is very straight and not too distinct.

John Dansken and the Patrickhill Cooke Telescope

John Dansken was born in Glasgow in 1836 and was by profession a surveyor and also an enthusiastic amateur astronomer who built an observatory at his home in Patrickhill, Glasgow which included a 5 inch telescope by Thomas Cooke of York, there was also a larger 13 inch reflector made by D Hunter of Lanark.

A number of smaller instruments were also housed there including telescopes by Wray and Dollond. He also had one of the finest astronomical libraries in the West of Scotland. 

John Dansken died on November 1st 1905.

A small Cooke telescope

 In 1865  W E Metford, from Bristol purchased a telescope with a 2 inches object glass, with a  21 inch f/l, and made of white metal, plus a sunshade.

Although he had an interest in astronomy I have not come across any references to any observations he made ,his chief distinction was in the development of bullets for rifles.

Praise for a Cooke eyepiece

William Priest Pardo Matthews, Hill House, Gorleston, Yarmouth purchased in November 1864 an  astronomical eyepiece for a 5 foot 4 inch long telescope with an aperture of 4.5 inches.

This must have been another Cooke eyepiece he purchased because according to a letter written by Matthews earlier in the year on July 18^th 1864 the eyepiece that he had purchased from Cooke’s was a Huyghenian which he described as being an exceedingly good one.

I don't know if his 4.5 inch telescope was  a Cooke telescope or not.

A Cooke for Tynemouth

 On the 20th December 1858 Dr Matthews from Tynemouth ordered a telescope of 4 inch aperture, from Thomas Cooke & Sons of York,  plus a polished brass tube, a finder, four eyepieces, sun prism and dark glasses, two brass clamps for fixing to stand at a cost of £40. ( In 2022 that would be equal to £5,870)

At the same time he also ordered a plain equatorial stand with tangent screw motion…. Hook's joint &c £7 (In 2022 that would equal £1,025). A Hook's joint is essential a universal joint. The mechanism was invented by Robert Hooke (1635-1703) Packing cases £1 10s 0d. (In 2022 that would equal £220

There is no other information available.

A spooky astronomer's tale for Halloween

 The ghost was seen carrying its own coffin, such was the gruesome story that thrilled with horror the souls near a canal in northern England in the 19^th century.

The reports that were given in good faith by people were quickly spread by others who travelled along the canal on barges of these ghostly apparitions.

The blood curdling mystery was solved however when it was realised that it wasn’t a ghost at all but the astronomer and inventor of the Steam Hammer James Nasmyth who at the time was living in Patricroft near Manchester and close to the Manchester Canal.

Nasmyth a keen astronomer often wanted to observe certain stars, he would therefore wake at an early hour jump out of bed and wearing just his white night shirt and carrying his telescope would move from place to place within his garden at the dead of night. Manchester was at this time an industrial city and through the dark, murk and polluted air it is not too difficult to see how this spooky story started.

The ‘ghost’ was actually an astronomer!!

The Astronomy Show

 Join me, Martin Lunn tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, 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 and the Messier Marathon.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio 102 and 103.5 FM the show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and the show can be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

Large Sun Spot Group seen from Manchester in 1905

 

New Sun Spot Group Thursday 25^th October 1905

To the Editor of the Manchester Courier, Sir- There is another naked eye group of stars now on the visible surface of the Sun. The portion which is visible through the smoke and cloud is an immense spot.

Yours &c William C Jenskins

Observer

Godlee Observatory

John Goodricke, Delta Cepheus and the Distance to the Stars

 John Goodricke who was deaf was on one the fathers of variable star astronomy. He worked with Edward Pigott in the city of York between 1781 and 1786 when he died at the tragically young age of 21.

Goodricke and Pigott explored the sky they explained that the variations of the star Algol in the constellation of Perseus were caused by an unseen body eclipsing Algol. The same principal is used by astronomers today to look for planets orbiting other stars. They then went on to both discover a new variable star on the same night, the 10^th September 1784, Pigott discovered eta Aquila and Goodricke discovered beta Lyra. I described this as a night to remember in York.

The indefatigable Goodricke then went onto to discover the variability of the star delta Cephei in the constellation of Cepheus the King on the night of October 23^rd 1784. This was to prove to be one of the most important astronomical discoveries.

Delta Cepheus is of tremendous value to astronomers today, Goodricke could not know the importance of his discovery. Cepheid variable stars are used to work out the distance to other galaxies. It was in 1912 that Henrietta Leavitt working at Harvard realised that there is a relationship between the Cepheid variable stars a pattern was seen that the brighter ones seem to have longer periods and that cepheids were very luminous stars and there was a relationship between the periods and distance.

If cepheids could be found in other galaxies the distances could be worked out. They were and this allowed astronomers to work out how far away the galaxies were. This was down to the discovery of delta Cepheus in 1784 by the deaf astronomer John Goodricke the discovery of this relation with the cepheids in 1912 by Henrietta Leavitt who was also partially deaf. This relationship is known today as the Period Luminosity Relationship.

Mr Baxendell in Manchester and Z Delphinus

 On October 24^th 1863 Mr Baxendell in Manchester announced the discovery of a new variable star in Delphinus with a magnitude of 8.6. By December it had fallen to magnitude 12. After conjunction with the Sun it was found again on July 29^th 1864 as a magnitude 13 object. From then until September 5^th it rose to magnitude 8.4.

Although not given a variable star designation at the time I believe this star is Z Delphinus a long period variable star with a period of 304 days and varying between 8.3 and 15.3