There probably are not many people who have a theory on Saturn’s rings and who also own a Cooke telescope, but I would like to introduce to you such a man. George Ridsdale Goldsbrough (1881-1963). He would go onto become a mathematician and mathematical physicist.
He was born in Sunderland on May 19th 1881 which then was part of Co. Durham, he was a student at Armstrong College (now University of Newcastle upon Tyne) from 1900-1903 where he graduated with honours.
Between 1905 and 1919 he was the senior mathematics master at Jarrow on Tyne Secondary School. His ability to do research led him in 1919 to an appointment to a lectureship in Mathematics at Armstrong College and in 1922 he also became a reader in Dynamical Astronomy. In 1928 he became Professor of Applied Mathematics a post he held until he retired.
It was R A Sampson, Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at the university of Durham who suggested that Goldsbrough should do work on tides and gravitational astronomy.
Goldbrough’s work that would create most interest was his theory of the rings of Saturn in 1951. He suggested that the rings around Saturn could be formed in a stable system if certain circumstances were satisfied.
I mentioned at the beginning about his link with a Cooke telescope. He had a 5 inch Cooke telescope. I don’t know if he brought it new or obtained it second hand , in which case I have no information regarding when it was made and who might have originally owned it.
We do know that he tried to observe the eclipse of the Sun visible in England on June 29th 1927. He went to Swaledale, I don’t have a more accurate location than that. I can’t even say if he actually saw anything of the eclipse or not. The chances are he didn’t because in many areas it was too cloudy.
George Ridsdale Glodsbrough died on May 26th 1963
at the age of 82, while sitting in a deck chair in the gardens adjoining the
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon
www.theramblimngastronomer.co.uk
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