1808-1890 Scottish engineer, philosopher and inventor of the Steam Hammer was also very interested in astronomy and when he retired from business in 1856 he moved to Penshurst in Kent to follow his hobby of astronomy.
In 1858 he purchased an 8 inch Cooke and Sons telescope which was complete in every respect possible. The telescope cost £600. Today that would be £95,390
I have come across Eli Shaw1821-1869 who was a self taught mechanic from Barnsley.
He had a Thomas Cooke & Sons 3 feet achromatic telescope. I would assume that this would have a lens of around 3 inches but I have no definite proof of that just the length of the telescope to go by. He observed the Sun, Moon and planets.
He made his own reflecting telescope, I do not know the size of this instrument. He also made his own astronomical clock. On his death he left a large scientific library and various scientific instruments.
This I am afraid is is all the information I have on Eli Shaw
A Thomas Cooke camera solves a 52 year old comet mystery.
A comet found by Leonard Edwards (US Air Force base, near Timaru New Zealand) on June 19th 1971 on three 45 sec film exposures taken with a Baker – Nunn camera and were only reported a year later without a designation due to a lack of confirmation have just been found on additional photographs on 6 nights in 1971. The comet was of magnitude 10.
These 1971 images have been discovered after extensive searches by M Meyer and G W Kronk
Two of the images taken on June 19th and 20th 1971 have come from the 10 inch Franklin Adams star camera located at the Leiden Southern Station of the Union/Republic observatory at Harbeespoort, South Africa.
John Franklin Adams ordered two 10 inch and two 6 inch cameras from Thomas Cooke in 1897 on an English mount. They would be used to photograph both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres between 1902 and 1909. The Franklin Adam charts were the standard photographic star atlas until superseded by the Palomar star charts in the early 1950s.
This was the same 10 inch lens which had been donated to the Transvaal now the Union Observatory around 1910 that was used by Robert Innes in 1915 to discover Proxima Centauri
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 Astronomy show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.
In 1889 Mr G Rylands offered the a 5 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope to Liverpool Town Council, on condition that the council would provide a site for an observatory, of which the Liverpool Astronomical Society should have the use for three nights each week. Consideration of this offer was in the hands of the Parks, Gardens and Improvements Committee.
By 1901 the 5 inch Cooke had fallen into a state of disrepair however it was housed in the observatory provided by the Liverpool corporation on the roof of the New Technical Schools Building.
It was repaired by Mr Thos. Thorp of Whitefield, Manchester and the telescope now has a fine appearance.
The telescope is still owned by the Liverpool Astronomical Society but I don’t think it is in use now.
I have come across a reference to a Rev Thomas Buckley of Old Trafford Manchester whom in 1856 purchased a portable 3.5 inch Thomas Cooke telescope for £50. I have not been able to discover any references to observations he might have made with the Cooke telescope.
I have little information regarding Buckley other than he appears to be the Honorary Secretary of the school for deaf children in Old Trafford. The school was built in 1860 and adjoins the Botanic Gardens in Old Trafford
In 1871 the foundation of the College of Physical Sciences was founded in Newcastle in 1871, it was renamed the Armstrong College in 1904 after William George Armstrong the engineer and industrialist. In 1908 it would become part of the university of Durham.
A 4.5 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons was presented to Armstrong College in 1915 possibly by a local historian J A Wellford.
The telescope was still in use in the 1960s when land at Close House Mansion, Heddon on the Wall, Northumberland was acquired by Kings College Newcastle, later renamed Newcastle University. This was known as the Espin Observatory.
The Espin Observatory contained telescopes used by the Rev T.H.E.C. Espin 1858-1934 of Tow Law in County Durham including a 24 inch reflector made by George Calver in 1914.
The Cooke was in use until the early 2000s until the site was sold for re development the Cooke was removed and I don’t know where it is today.
My Joynson of Liverpool on the opposition of Mars in 1865 using a Thomas Cooke and Sons 6 inch telescope which had a focal length of 7 feet and 6 inches and with eyepiece powers from100 tom 550, he also used a Barlow lens up to 1,100.
Joynson found that no increase of power altered the aspect of Mars, nor did he detect any difference in the markings of Mars since 1862. The snow at the Noth Pole was not visible in 1864. In 1865 the snow at the pole was not so surprisingly marked as usual, and a nearly equatorial belt was very prominent.
Alfred Noel Neate from Carlisle on March 26th 1909 observed the Moon using his 4 inch Thomas Cooke and Son telescope on a power of 140. He observed a white spot to the west of the crater Picard. He observed the while spot from 7hr 15 min to 8h 20 min pm.
Mr Neate considered the spot to be about 10 to 11 miles in diameter. He also thought that the spot was brighter at its southern end, this and a central dark spot was seen.
James Leigh 1838- 1895 was born in Liverpool was a banker by profession, and from 1876 until his death he was the manager of the Metropolitan Bank of England and Wales. He was particularly interested in observing the Moon and double stars.
He had a 4 inch Thomas Cooke and Sons telescope and his address was given as Bank, King Street Liverpool.
Mr John Mc Landsborough 1820-1900 of the exchange, Bradford exhibited a large equatorial telescope made by Thomas Cooke and Sons of York at the Yorkshire Exhibition at Leeds in June 1875. unfortunately I do not know the size of this telescope.
John Mc Landsborough was a civil engineer, born in Scotland his family moved to Otley in Yorkshire where the young John was educated at the Grammar School in Otley. He later moved to Bradford where he established a meteorological station. He was always interested in astronomy and apart from the Cooke telescope he also had a reflecting telescope made by Browning.
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 Astronomy show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.
The great refractor by Thomas Cooke and Sons oy York, which was shown at the International Exhibition of 1871 was sold by auction by Messrs Stevens of King Street, Covent Garden for about £750.
The instrument which had every modern appliance, and was one of the most complete ever turned out by the celebrated instrument makers was of 10 inches clear aperture and was originally priced at £1,200, but owing to the rise in wages and materials would now be charged much more. The purchaser was Mr Henley, the telegraph engineer.
William Thomas Henley was a submarine cable maker in Greenwich. He set up the Persian Gulf Cable which was 1,651 miles long. The success of which allowed him to gain many more contracts.
Occultation of a Star by Saturn on March 14th 1920 made at Rondebosch, South Africa using a 6 inch Thomas Cooke telescope by W Reid, C. L O’B Dutton and W G McIntyre.
From the report that was received from South Africa it was assumed that many observers in the north would have seen this occultation but that does not seem the be the case. Due to this exact timings were not prepared. The report says that the star was not following its predicted path although I wonder if what they were really seeing was that Saturn was not quite in its predicted place.
The time when the star was in contact with the rings was given as 8.46 South African Standard Time however this was a compromise. It was the time when the observers present were all certain that the star was behind the rings. Mr Reid thought it touched the rings 3 minutes earlier and at the time given was on the edge of Ring B.
At first their was very little loss of light, but as soon as it touched Ring B the light gradually faded for about a half a magnitude. It remained this way for a few seconds, when it fell a little further, and almost immediately the flicker took place – that is, the star suddenly almost went out, but not quite, it rose again fairly suddenly. After this its light fluctuated very considerably, but never reached more than a magnitude less than its original brightness.
The star disappeared behind the planet at 8.54 and re appeared at 10.36. The seeing on the night was very good.
The Rev RJ Gould (1802-1880) Windsor Lodge, Taunton, Somerset purchased a 5 inch telescope from Thomas Cooke & Sons in 1864, complete with an iron pillar for an observatory.
Soon after he purchased the telescope he became vicar at Mortimer Vicarage, Reading where he would spend the rest of his life.
While using the 5 inch telescope and he was observing Jupiter on October 7th1868 at 11h and 43 mins when he noticed an error in the Nautical Almanac on page 480.
It stated that the 3rd satellite will be on the west side of its primary in company with the 2nd and 4th; The fact was that it was on the east side with satellite number 1. The places of 2 and 4 were right enough but number 3 was certainly not so.
Gould goes on to say that we have no right to expect even the Nautical almanac to be absolutely free from errors and misprints, but I should like to know whether others have observed this or whether it can be shown to have been a mistake on the part of myself.
During the following days several observers confirmed Gould’s observations that the satellite was in the wrong place.
Following his death in 1880 the Cooke 5 inch telescope together with an observatory was offered for sale. I don’t know if this was a Cooke observatory or a home made one.
James Nangle observed comet Morehouse on March 19th 1909 form his observatory at Marrickville New South Wales. He had a 6.25 inch Cooke telescope.
Nangle described the comet as having a long tail that was distinctly seen. He said that the telescope was not that well equipped for studying comets as the lowest power on the 6.25 inch Cooke was 150 magnification. With this power the comet was a very unsatisfactory object, the head only being slightly visible, and that an indistinctly defined mass showing a bright condensation at the centre.
James Nangle 1868-1941 would go on to become Government Astronomer for New South Wales in 1926. One point of interest about the 6.25 inch telescope is that Nangle refers to the lens of hi telescope being made by the elder Cooke. This suggests that this is a pre 1857 telescope made before the firm became Cooke & Sons. It also suggests that the telescope was made for someone in the UK and then made its way to Australia.
In 1910 Nangle worked out that to reduce the glare of an object he was looking at it was useful to place a piece of mosquito netting in front of the lens. Simple but effective!!
In 1865 the Rev J H Glover of Kingethorpe, Northants brought a 4 inch educational style Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope with a finder. The tube was painted black. The telescope came with an equatorial mounting plus a sun prism and 4 eyepieces.
Thomas Cooke & Sons not only made optical instruments but also observatories. In 1866 an observatory dome with an inside diameter of 9 feet made for William Gillett of Harefield, Bittern near Southampton.
William B Gibbs of Peckham, London purchased in 1865 an educational 4 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope. There were 4 eyepieces and a sun prism. In 1866 he further purchased an equatorial mounting for the 4 inch telescope.
William Gibbs was a good friend of James Buckingham who used the massive 21 inch refractor on Wandsworth Common in London.
In later years he purchased a 5.5 inch telescope, I don’t know if this was a Cooke telescope. He used it in a wooden observatory that he built until he was 87 years old.
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.
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The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio 102 and 103.5 FM the Astronomy show can be heard live on line at www.drystoneradio.com and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.
In 1864 the Rev D A Freeman of Temple, London purchased a 4.5 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope with a finder and 4 astronomical eyepieces. Also purchased was a sun prism, parallel wire micrometer and illuminating apparatus. The telescope was on a stout tripod.
He moved shortly after the purchase of this telescope to Kent where most of his observations would be made.
The telescope would be used to observe the Sun and double stars.
A 6 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope which was equatorialy mounted with a clock work drive and micrometer was purchased by Hamilton Field of Brixton, London. He was part owner of Kearns, Major & Fields, Wharfingers (owners of wharfs) of Upper Thames Street. The telescope cost £300.
Observations of the Eclipse of the Sun March 6th 1867 by J B Dancer, Observatory, Old Manor House, Ardwick.
Just before first contact my attention was unfortunately taken from the telescope, and when got to the instrument again the eclipse had commenced.
The weather was very favourable and the atmosphere remarkably steady; clouds occasionally passed over the Sun, but did not obscure the disc for any length of time.
The telescope used was 10 feet 6 inches focal length and 7.25 inch diameter. The full aperture of the object glass was employed, with a power of 50, and using diagonal glass sun prism numerous groups of faculae were visible. One spot interested me, I have already stated that the atmosphere was very steady. Indeed I have very seldom seen the edge of the Sun so free from all disturbance.
When the Moon’s edge approached the dark spot suddenly became very tremulous and lighter in colour before it disappeared behind the body of the Moon, there were no visible cloud passing at this time and the Sun’s edge was sharply defined and perfectly steady.
During the progress of the eclipse the serrated edge of the Moon was beautifully distinct. I had several telescopes directed to the Sun; some of these had 4.5 inches and some 5.5 inches diameter object glasses. The value of aperture in observing the edge of the Moon and the faculae on the Sun’s disc was very manifest when using the 7.25 inch diameter glass.
The parsec is a unit of measure used in astronomy it is equal to 3.26 light years and it was introduced in 1913 by the Yorkshire astronomer H.H. Turner 1861-1930. He said that a star at a distance of 1 parsec would have a parallax of 1 second of arc. A parallax is the movement of a star against a starry background.
The best way to show what is meant is to make a practical experiment, Shut one eye, and line up your finger with an object some way away such as a bush or tree in your garden. Now without moving your finger or head, open that eye and use the other one. Your finger will no longer be aligned with that bush or tree. If you know the distance between your eyes and the angular shift of your finger against the background , it is possible using a little bit of trigonometry to work out the distance between your finger and your eyes.
Herbert Hall Turner was born in Leeds and educated at Leeds Modern School , he went onto study at Trinity College, Cambridge. Turner become chef assistant at the Royal Greenwich Observatory before becoming Savalian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford and then director at the Radcliffe observatory. He was at Southport in Lancashire to observe the 1927 eclipse of the Sun.
In 1930 Pluto was discovered and it was named by a 10 year girl from England called Venetia Burney. Her grandfather Falconer Madan was librarian at the Bodleian Library at Oxford who knew Turner, who in turn knew astronomers at the Lowell observatory where Pluto had been discovered. He telegraphed the suggestion to them where the name of Pluto was adopted.
This is the earliest advert for the optician Thomas Cooke of York that I have discovered. Are there earlier ones? .
Yorkshire Gazette Saturday March 4th 1837.
T Cooke, Working Optician, &c, 50 Stonegate, Yorkshire
Mathematical and Philosophical instruments made and repaired on reasonable terms.
