A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Repairs to the Madras Observatory in 1890

 Madras Weekly Mail Wednesday 5^th February 1890 

 

THE MADRAS OBSERVATORY

 

Mr. N. Pogson, C.L.E , Government Astronomer, in submitting an estimate of Rs. 2,772 for making certain repairs, reports an follows:

 

Herewith, I have the honor to submit, in duplicate, an estimate for necessary repairs of the Government Observatory, amounting to Rs 2,772, together with an accompanying report by H. Irwin, Esq., C.L.E the Consulting Architect to Government. The repairs have been much needed for some years past, but were deferred, as the transit circle could not then be spared without serious inconvenience. This fine instrument, which cost I, believe about £1,200, was under the very beams, the collapse of which was most imminent; so after Mr. Irwin’s  warning I lost no time in dismounting and removing the transit circle on a strong temporary wooden roller stand to a more secure part of the observatory, pending the repairs of the transit circle room. The telescope cones, bearing the eyepiece and objective, the counterpoises, damps, microscopes, &c., were all taken off on November 16th, assisted by workmen from Messrs. P. Orr and Sons; in consequence of the risk in case of heavy rain, the remainder of the instrument, weighing about 400 lb, was carefully removed bodily on Sunday, November 17th, and the building placed at the Consulting Architect's disposal for whatever emergent precautions in the way of propping and otherwise securing the roof he might consider necessary. During the repairs of the transit room the Madras mean time has to be determined by means of a small transit instrument by Dollond, formerly in use between 1858 and 1862, but with which the time in less certain within half a second than it is within half-a-tenth of a second with the transit circle. The early completion of the repairs is most desirable and advantage will be taken meanwhile for thorough cleaning up of the large instrument on the spot under my own immediate superintendence with such help as I can obtain from Messrs. P. Orr & Sons. The estimate has been sanctioned by government.

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - comet Coggia 1874

 Academy Newspaper Saturday July 11^th 1874

 

The comet discovered by Coggia on April 13 1874 has during the last fortnight rapidly increased in brightness and is now a conspicuous object in the northern sky. It will continue to get brighter, but unfortunately its motion is directly away from the pole, and as it is now beginning to move south rapidly, it will soon get below the northern horizon, so that probably it will not be visible to the naked eye, in the northern hemisphere at least, after July 15, when it will be nearly as bright as a first magnitude star, though very low down.

 It is possible, however, that its tail may be seen after the head has set, as was the case with the famous comet of 1843, Mr. Hind, who has devoted much attention to the present comet, considers that it may be seen in full daylight south of the sun with a powerful telescope about July 22, when it makes its nearest approach to the earth. The circumstance that the apparent path of this comet passes nearly through the sun’s place, coupled with Its very slow motion at first, has made it very difficult to compute its orbit; but theory and observation now agree well, and if observatories in the Southern hemisphere watch it carefully, no less than 200° of its orbit will be fixed, and we can then determine whether it is likely ever to visit us again.

The striking feature of this comet in the telescope is its remarkably bright planetary nucleus, from each side of which a fan of light shoots out transverse to the tail. The spectrum of this nucleus, as found by M. Royet (since confirmed by Mr. Lockyer and at Greenwich), is continuous, indicating a glowing solid or liquid, and therefore supporting the theory that it is a meteor stream. The coma and tail which form the usual parabolic envelope give the characteristic spectrum of carbon consisting of three bright nebulous bands, but what is the form under which the carbon exists remains an interesting question which it is to be hoped that Mr. Huggins will resolve. The tail shows strong radial polarisation.

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Cooke telescope tales - Exhibition of the Phonograph in York

 At this time of year Christmas music is being played everywhere, but a long time ago before music was available online or on a CD there was the phonograph or record player as it would become known was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison.

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 several 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.   

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - S Delphinus in 1865

 

Astronomical Register January 1866 

Mr Baxendell read a communication on the variable star S Delphinus, at the meeting of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester. On the 9^th November 1865. A maximum brightness occurred on the 9^th August 1865, magnitude 8.9, the mean period being 332 days, and the minimum equalling the magnitude 13.5. 

Mr Baxendell’s observations were confirmed in a great measure by Mr G Knott of Cuckfield. The colour iof the star is reddish, and is more intense at the minimum.

                                                     www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning 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 latest news from the astronomical societies in the north of England.

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

Cooke Telescope Tales - Accident at the Cooke factory

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 on the works, whilst he was engaged in his ordinary occupation. 

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - spectra of comets

 

Nature January 8^th 1874

On the spectra of Comets

Here is a summary of comet spectra by H Vogel published in Poggendorffs Annalen

I will now give a summary of all the observations known to me of cometary spectra. 

1.      The first comet examined by spectrum analysis is the Comet I. 1864. Donati found its spectrum to consist of three bright bands, which (if one may judge from the figure in Astr Nachr No. 1488) do not  coincide with those of the hydrocarbon spectrum.

2.      Huggins and Secchi observed Temple’s Comet I. 1866, and got from it a weak continuous spectrum, in which Secchi saw three bright lines, Huggins only one. The line seen by both was the brightest, and situated in the middle between b and F of the solar spectrum; accordingly no coincidence with the hydrocarbon spectrum.

3.      In the spectrum of Comet II. 867, the continuous spectrum was relatively so strong that Huggins found it difficult to detect bright lines. “Once of twice”, he says “I suspected the presence of two or three bright lines, but of this observation I was not certain. The prismatic observation of this faint object, though imperfect, appears to show that this small comet is probably similar in physical structure to comet I.1866” In this case again probably no hydrocarbon.

4.      Brorsen’s Comet I. 1868 was observed by Huggins and Secchi. Both observed three zones of light; The middle one being the brightest, and lying in the green; while its brightest part was somewhat less refrangible than the brightest line of the air spectrum. From this observation, and the determination of the position of the other two faint bands, it appears that the comet spectrum was neither similar to that of nitrogen, nor to the hydrocarbon spectrum.

5.      Winnecke’s Comet II.1868, was also observed by Huggins and Secchi. The measurements and direct comparisons of Huggins gave an agreement of the cometary spectrum with that of carbon in olefiant gas. From Secchi’s measurements it appears that the sharply defined side of the middle band (towards the red end), nearly coincided with the line group b of the solar spectrum; at which part also the beginning of the middle band of the spectrum of hydrocarbon id situated.

6.      Comet I. 1870 was observed by Wolf and Rayet; the spectrum consisted of three bright bands, whose position, however, was not accurately determined.

7.      Comet I. 1870 was observed by Huggins and myself. Huggins found three bands, I only two. The measurements of the bands observed in common agree well; the spectrum appears to be identical with that of Brosen’s Comet.

8.      Comet III. 1871 (Encke) was observed by Huggins three days, by Young four and by myself six; it showed, as usual a spectrum of three bands. Huggins thought this agreed with the hydrocarbon spectrum ; while young and I observed no such coincidence.

9.      Comet IV. 1871 (Tuttle), examined only by me, gave a spectrum of three bands. Accurate measurements of their positions showed no coincidence with the hydrocarbon spectrum.

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A little ramble through Equuleus the Little Horse

A small constellation situated between the head of Pegasus the Flying Horse and Delphinus the Dolphin. Equuleus is one of the original 48 constellations listed by the astronomer Ptolemy, it’s the second smallest constellation, only Crux the Southern Cross is smaller.

In Greek mythology it is sometimes associated with Celeris which means swiftness or speed and is the smaller brother to Pegasus.

The Arab astronomers called the constellational Kitah al Faras which means part of a horse. Another Arab name is Al Faras al Thani which means the second horse alluding either to its small size, or to the time when it was adopted as a constellation.

The Hindu astronomers referred to it as Acvini which means the horseman.

There is only one star bright enough to be easily seen with the naked eye and that is alpha or Kitalpha which comes from the Arab name for the whole constellation. Kitalpha has a magnitude of 3.9 and is 186 light years away, it’s a G class giant star and is cooler than the Sun with a temperature of around 5,000 degrees. The Sun has a temperature of 5,800 degrees.

There are no bright galaxies or nebula in Equuleus.

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Cooke Telescope Tales - New Cooke telescope for Tyemouth in 1858

On the 20th December 1858 Dr Matthews from Tynemouth ordered a telescope of 4 inch aperture, plus a polished brass tube, a finder, four eyepieces, sun prism and dark glasses, two brass clamps for fixing to stand.

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Leyton Observatory records 1862-1864

 Astronomical Register January 1866

 

Leyton Astronomical Observations

  A quarto volume of about 120 pages has been published by the firm of Williams and Norgate, containing the observations made at Mr Joseph Gurney Barclay’s private observatory at Leyton in Essex. During the years 1862, 1863 and 1864. 

The introduction gives a description of the telescope in use by Mr Barclay and his assistant, and the remainder of the book is occupied with tables of observations on certain double stars in Struve’s Catalogue, and on 30 minor planets, as well as the right ascension and declinations of stars used in the latter case and a list of the comparison stars. 

The comet observations during the three years are not the least valuable part of the volume, which has been brought out in a spirited way, and which will be welcomed by Mr Barclay’s brother Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society.

www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Andromedid meteors seen from the Caribbean Sea in 1891

 Mr Boraston on the steamer Don on the night of November 23/24 1891 made observations of Andromedid meteors while crossing the Caribbean Sea 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.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning 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 latest news from the astronomical societies in the north of England.

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

 

Cooke Telescope Tales - drawings on Venus in 1901

 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.

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - French Astronomical Literature

 Astronomical Register January 1866 

We observe and announce Le journal de ciel: Astronomie pour tous .- This is a quarterly periodical, published at Paris, at a cost of one franc per number. It appears to be a magazine something of the character of our own. The editor is Professor J Vinot, and the office 26 rue Servandoni, Paris. We mention these particulars as possibly some of our readers may like to make its acquaintance.

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Cooke Telescope Tales - Will Hay observes nova Puppis in 1942

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.

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A little ramble through Draco the Dragon

 Draco was known as a dragon and features in many ancient legends, to some ancient Greek astronomers, for example Eratosthenes and Hipparchus, in the ancient Greek poem The Shield Of Hercules with the two dogs (Sirius and Procyon), Lepus the Hare, Orion the Hunter and Perseus as The scaly horror of a dragon, coiled full in the central field.  It was also described as the snake snatched by Minerva from the giants and whirled to the sky, where it became Sidus Minervae at Bacchi or the monster killed by Cadmus at the fount of Mars, whose teeth he sowed for a crop of armed men.

In Persia the constellation was seen as Azhdeha, the man-eating serpent, and in early Hindu mythology it was seen as an alligator.

Babylonian records suggest the constellation near the pole might be a snail drawn along the tail of a dragon, while other sources suggest that it might be Sir or a snake. However other Babylonian sources suggest that it is the dragon Tiamat overcome by the kneeling sun god Izhdubar who we would recognise as Hercules whose foot is upon it.

To the Assyrians the dragon represents Hea or Hoa the third god of the Assyrian triad also known as Kim- mut.

The Chaldeans saw it as a much longer constellation than we see today, winding downwards and in front of Ursa Major the Great Bear. It still today almost encloses Ursa Minor the small bear.

The Egyptians saw the stars as part of a hippopotamus and are shown on the planisphere of Denderah and the walls of Ramesseum at Thebes. It is said that at one time the Egyptian called Draco Tanem.

The Arab astronomers referred to the constellation as Al Tinnin and Al Thuban which comes from the Greek Draco. It was also called the poisonous dragon this is because a comet was seen in Draco and astrologers thought it had spread poison across the world. It appears that a great comet was seen from China in 1337 in the constellation of Yuen Wei which identifies with some of the stars in Draco. This could be the comet the astrologers were referring to.

The dragon is closely identified with China but the dragon that was in the Chinese zodiac is now part of the stars that form our constellation of Libra. To the Chinese Draco was Tsi Kung the Palace of the Heavenly Emperor.

The Arab astronomers knew Thuban as the ‘Large Snake’ and it was the North Star when the great pyramids were built in Egypt around 4,000 years ago. In theory being labelled as alpha it should indicate that Thuban the brightest star in Draco, however at magnitude 3.6 it is only the 7^th brightest star in the constellation. I have no idea why this is the case. Thuban is an A class star with a surface temperature of over 10,000 degrees which is much hotter than the Sun. Thuban is just over 300 light years away.

When Johannes Bayer introduced the Greek alphabet system to the constellations in 1603, he considered Thuban to be of the 2^nd magnitude, the brightest star Draco. In his classification the brightest star in a constellation is alpha followed by beta all the way to omega the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Early star catalogues produced in the 1600s or even earlier suggested it was brighter than we see it today. This was mentioned by Sir John Herschel who was the son of William Herchel who discovered the planet Uranus in 1781and saw Thuban at the same brightness that we see the star as today.  

The position of the North Star changes in time due to the wobbling of the Earth. It takes the Earth around 26,000 years to wobble once meaning that during this period the North Pole of the Earth will describe a circle in the sky.  This process is called Precession. Around the year 14,000 the bright star Vega in Lyra will be the North Star.

Today we have Polaris in Ursa Minor as the North Star. People in the southern hemisphere are not so fortunate now as there is no bright star to mark south pole. Thuban is 303 light years away and shines at magnitude 3.6 and is an A0 giant class star. It is hotter than the Sun.

The great astrological and astronomical work compiled for the first Sargon king, of Akkad referred to the star as Tir An na, or the Life of Heavens as it then marked the position of the North Star.

In China Thuban was known as Yu Choo or the Right Hand Pivot.

Beta or Alwaid which is Arabic for The Mother Camels an alternative Arab name is Al Rakis or The Trotting Camel. Alwaid is 380 light years away and has a magnitude of 2.8 and is a G class giant star with a surface temperature of around 5,000 degrees.

The brightest star in Draco is gamma or Eltanin which means The Great Serpent, the star has a magnitude of 2.2 is 154 light years away and is a K class giant star with a surface temperature of about 3,900 degrees making it cooler than the Sun.

Delta or Al Tais which is Arabic for The Goat is a magnitude 3.0 star lying 98 light years away, it’s a G class giant star with a surface temperature of 4,600 degrees.

Iota or Al Dhiba which is Arabic for The Male Hyaena was known to the Chinese as Tso Choo the Left Pivot

One interesting and well-known deep sky object in Draco is The Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC6543) it’s a planetary nebula that was discovered by William Herschel in 1786. It was Herschel who first used the term planetary nebula to describe these objects that looked a bit like a planet. Although its picture often appears in astronomy books it is faint and a telescope is needed to see it.

And for all the Harry Potter fans Draco is Draco Malfoy an enemy of Harry Potter.

 

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Cooke Telescope Tales - Copies of the John Franklin Adams photographs for sale in 1913

 Nature April 10^th 1913

John Franklin Adams photographed the entire night sky between 1904 and 1909 from Godalming in Surrey for the northern hemisphere and from South Africa for the Southern Hemisphere using 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 in 2025 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.

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Schiaparelli and the Milan Observatory in 1873

Nature December 11th 1873

Signor Schiaparelli, Director the Milan Observatory, has been appointed Director of the Florence Observatory in place of the late Signor Donati.

The Florence Observatory which stands near Galileo’s Tower at Arcetri, is in every way superior to that of Milan, and we may look for considerable results from an astronomer who has already done so much with small opportunities.

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - comet Winnecke 1869

 Academy, Saturday 13^th November 1869 

 Winnecke's Comet.

Huggins’ spectral analysis of this comet is well known, and his conclusion that the light of this comet is produced by incandescent carbon vapour. The experiments of Watts—published in the October Number of The Philosophical Magazine—seem to prove that this spectrum is really that of carbon: and further, that the temperature of the carbon producing it must be between 1500° C. and 2500° C. If no other explanation of this comet-spectrum can be found, and if the temperature of cosmical space may really reach 1500° C., important changes must be made in the theories of the universe as at present accepted.

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning 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 latest news from the astronomical societies in the north of England. 

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

 

 

Cooke Telescope Tales - Occultation of delta3 Taurus observed from Liverpool in 1870

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. 

An occultation occurs when the Moon passes in front of a star blocking out the light from the star. Very occasionally a planet will pass in front of a star. This happened in 1977 when Uranus passed in front of a star leading to the discovery of its system of rings. 

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.

                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - Thomas Cook was allowed to vote in 1837

Thomas Cook optician of Stonegate in York was objected to being able to vote in the general election of 1837  by a Mr Graham because he believed that Mr Cook was not a £10 Freeholder. At this time unless you owned a freehold property to the value of £10 you were unable to vote. 

However on checking it was found that Mr Cook had a previous rating that showed he was a £10 Free holder owning his opticians shop in Stonegate and was therefore allowed to vote. 

The 1837 election was won by the Viscount Melbourne. I do not know which way Thomas Cook voted.

 

Also note that his name is spelled without an ‘e’, he went from Thomas Cook to Thomas Cooke sometime in the early 1840s.

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Columbia College Observatory in 1873

 Nature July 3^rd 1873

We learn that there has been erected a small observatory on the Columbia (U.S.) College campus for educational and we hope, also for scientific purposes. The observatory is furnished with an equatorial, accompanied by a seven-prism spectroscope by Clark, and a position micrometer, besides an altazimuth and a zenith telescope.

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Another ramble to the gamma quadrant - next blog on November 14th 2025

Many thanks to all the people who look at my blogs.

Just to let everyone know that I am back off on another rambling astronomer mission to the gamma quadrant, this means that there will be no blogs until Friday November 14th 2025

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - small observatory for Columbia College in 1873

 Nature July 3^rd 1873

We learn that there has been erected a small observatory on the Columbia (U.S.) College campus for educational and we hope, also for scientific purposes. The observatory is furnished with an equatorial, accompanied by a seven prism spectroscope by Clark, and a position micrometer, besides an altazimuth and a zenith telescope.

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - 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.

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - Cooke instruments were of the highest quality, but....

 Cooke Instruments were of the highest quality but by the 1920s with a slump in trade around the world for optical instruments Cooke’s were now discovering the penalty of making instruments too well, they did not need repairing!

 With this in mind in the late 1920s Cookes which by his time was trading as Cooke, Troughton and Simms undertook a major advertising campaign encouraging people who had brought equipment in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries to bring them back and have them repaired.  

The campaign was not just in the UK it was also global, and senior salesmen were sent to the various Cooke offices around the world to try to drum up extra business. It worked briefly but sadly for Cookes and other major industries around the world the Great Wall Street Crash in 1929 signalled the beginning of the Great Depression in the 1930s and the demand for optical instruments ceased almost overnight.

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

 

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - How to find Uranus in 1865

 Astronomical Register February 1865

 

Sir,- Some of your correspondents have asked for a diagram for the stars near the planet Uranus is at presented situated, I herewith send you one, which I trust will meet the requirements of amateurs. 

To find Uranus.- With the naked eye direct your attention to the constellations Taurus and Gemini. Having noted the stars beta and zeta at the tips of the bull’s horns, and mu, nu and gamma at the feet of the twins, proceed (see diagram) along an imaginary line for my Gemini toward beta Taurus, passing by eta Gemini 4^th mag. To No.1 Gemini full 5^th mag. Between this latter star and beta Taurus will be perceived a triangle of 5^th mag stars, viz: 132, 136 and 139 Taurus. Now the planet Uranus will be found situated a little below a line drawn from 1 Gemini to 132 Taurus, the lowest of the triangle.

Uranus being generally invisible to the naked eye, the telescope must be pointed towards the place indicated in order to see it. Perhaps on first trial it will not be easily found and the star 132 will be in the field; if so this will be readily known by its having a small 7^th mag star near to it. Before leaving this star note well its apparent brightness, for Uranus is not quite so bright, and can easily be found by pointing the telescope a little s.f. 

Having got Uranus in the field, unless you have a large and good telescope, you will only see a dull looking object, and will not be able satisfactory to make out its disc. If now you show it to some of your friends not versed in planetary lore, you will most likely be greeted with “Oh! Is that all?” and excite feelings, if not expressions of scepticism as to its being a planet. 

Unless possessed of a large telescope, the best way of observing Uranus is to use, not a telescope, but far better, a binocular opera or field glass. With such an instrument, Uranus can be found and shown almost instantly. Having other stars in the field at the same time with it, its planetary nature is made palpable in a week, by its varied its position with regard to its neighbours.

 On the 2^nd March when Uranus will be stationary after retrograding, it will be found by the field glass to be below the triangle of 5^th mag stars, and above a small triangle of 7^th mag lying between it and zeta Taurus. 

 

I am, Sir your obedient servant, T M Simkiss

Waterloo Road Wolverhampton

January 16^th 1865

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Leverrier and the French National Observatory in 1873

 Nature,  June 19^th 1873

M Leverrier has entered on his new office of Director of the French National Observatory. The Observatory Board has decided on his formal proposition that they shall co-operate with the Bureau des Longitudes for taking a new measure of the French arc from Dunkerque to Oran via Spain. Commander Perrier will be the chief geodesist for that most important survey.

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning 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 latest news from the astronomical societies in the north of England.

 

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

Cooke Telescope Tales - Cooke 25 inch lens tested

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

                                                         www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

 

Cooke Telescope Tales - Leeds Astronomical Society visits Cookes in 1920

On Saturday afternoon October 9^th 1920 members of the Leeds Astronomical Society of which Mr David Booth is president and others visited the works of Messrs Cooke and Sons Ltd Bishophill, York where an interesting and instructive time was spent. 

During their tour around the works they saw how lens are ground down and polished and how various instruments are used and adjusted. 

Among the other things pointed out were various parts of the 18 inch telescope for Brazil. In the show room there were various telescopes including one made by Mr Cooke in 1850. 

The visitors were surprised to find that in York there were such large and extensive works equipped with the various modern and accurate machines capable of making the most precise scientific instruments for the exacting demands of today.

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Observations by Lord Rosse

 

Academy Newspaper Saturday 6^th March 1880 

 

Observations of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars made with the Six-foot and Three-foot Reflectors at Birr Castle from the Year 1848 to about the Year 1878. By the Earl of Rosse.

Parts I. and II. in vol. ii. of the Scientific Transactions of the Royal Dublin Society, Lord Rosse has published the observations of nebulae procured by means of the great telescopes of his observatory in the course of thirty years.

 The late Earl, the constructor of these great instruments, had brought out several papers on a selection of the nebulae and clusters observed, the last one having appeared in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society for 1861; but, with the exception of a monograph on the great nebula in Orion, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1868, no further account of the observations had been given, and it was time that astronomers should be put in possession of whatever observations had been procured. It was obviously desirable that the original notes of the observers should be pretty fully transcribed in order to give due weight to their evidence. The brighter and more striking objects of Sir John Herschel’s Catalogue of 1833 having been first examined, and the more interesting ones having been ‘delineated in drawings published in the former papers, there remained less scope for the pencil, and the micrometer has been more frequently used instead. However, twenty-five nebulae or groups of nebulae have been figured on four plates, and the new drawings of the crab-nebula Messier 1, of G. C. 1,227 = H. V. 28, and of the spiral nebula Mess. 51, will be considered especially interesting.

The absence of any indication of the places of the nebulae, except in a limited number of cases, is a serious drawback, since it renders constant reference to other publications necessary, and, indeed, gives to the observations a merely supplementary character. It is acknowledged that some difficulty has arisen now and then in regions rich in nebulae in identifying the object observed with a catalogued nebula; but it is believed that very few cases of uncertain identity remain. Into the text have been introduced diagrams, which are rough copies of those drawn at the telescope, and which will be useful in any re-examination, when they can be compared directly with the heavens. In an Appendix some letters are printed in vindication of the performance of the six-foot reflector, against some disparaging remarks which have appeared in a magazine article. Astronomers, however, will probably be guided in their judgment chiefly by the work which has actually been accomplished. The present publication comprises the nebulae between Oh. and 14h. of right ascension; part iii. is intended to contain those within the last ten hours.

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Cincinnati observatory in 1873

 Nature, May 15^th 1873

The Cincinnati Observatory founded by Prof. Mitchell, is we learn, to be removed, and established in a manner worthy of the wealth of Cincinnati. From the drawings it may be judged that the dome of the new building will be thirty-five feet in diameter in the inside.

The new site was highly approved of by Prof Abbe, who continued until lately to be the director of the observatory at Cincinnati, and was presented by John Kilgour, Esq, who also added thereto the sum of ten thousand dollars to provide for the new building.

                                                         www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - New Star Catalogue in 1873

 Nature, March 27^th 1873

The largest catalogue of stars that has ever been published in America is now about to appear from the United States Naval Observatory at Washington.

This work, as far as we can learn from a recent communication of Prof. Yarnall, will embody all the valuable observations made since the foundation of the observatory in 1842, with the meridian instruments, consisting of the work of the well-known astronomers Coffin, Hubbard, Ferguson, Newcomb, Hall, Harkness and Yarnall.

Over fifteen years of labour have been devoted to it by Prof Yarnall and his assistants, and he himself has made nearly one half of the observations. The catalogue will be based on over eighty thousand observations of more than ten thousand stars, many of them being quite faint, and in extreme southern latitudes, such as have never or rarely hitherto been observed.

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Cooke Telescope Tales - Occultation of Iapetus observed from Johannesburg in 1963

On October 17^th 1963 using the 6 inch Cooke telescope at x300 magnification at the Republic Observatory  in Johannesburg, South Africa astronomers saw the Saturnian moon Iapteus occulted by Saturn. Iapetus was discovered by Cassini in 1671, 

The first dimming occurred at 18h 58 m UT the light was finally extinguished at 19h 07m. These observations were confirmed by the Astronomical Observatory at Madrid. 

The Union Observatory was originally the Meteorological Observatory built in 1905, it became the Union Observatory in 1912, until 1961 and finally the republic Observatory until it closed 

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning 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 latest news from the astronomical societies in the north of England.

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

Cooke Telescope Tales - Drawings of the Sun by Frederick Brodie in 1865

In the classic handbook of Descriptive Astronomy by G F Chanbers there are drawings  from October 1865 showing a Great Sun Spot. The drawings were made  by Frederick Brodie from his observatory at Uckfield in Sussex using  an 8.5 inch Cooke

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A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Eclipse of Sun observed in America in 1878

 Academy Newspaper Saturday August 17^th 1878 

 

The observers of the total eclipse of the sun on July 29, in America, have been very much favoured by the weather, and the observations, telescopic, spectroscopic, polariscopic, and photographic, seem to have highly successful. The corona appeared small, but of great brightness, and photographs of it and of its spectrum were obtained. Several long rays were seen, perhaps even the zodiacal light, at a distance of six degrees from the sun. The few prominences visible appeared insignificant and dim; the chromosphere rather low. It is sufficient at present to know of the observers’ good fortune and to await their full reports.

 In the instructions issued by the Washington Observatory for observing the eclipse, the importance is pointed out of renewing during the totality the search for an intra-Mercurial planet or planets, and a map is given showing all the stars to the seventh magnitude in a space extending over 32° in right ascension, and 15° in declination, with the sun in or near the centre. Of the observers on the look-out only one, Prof. Watson, the experienced discoverer of so many small planets, is reported to have succeeded in seeing a hitherto unknown star in right ascension 8" 26™ and declination 18° 0’ or a little over two degrees distant from the sun, and less than a degree from the place of the star theta  Cancri given in the map.

The news has been telegraphed to London, Paris, and Berlin; but, oddly enough, the telegram in one, or more than one, instance, purports to have been sent by the late secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Joseph Henry, who died in May last.

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Cooke Telescope Tales - Unilluminated side of Venus seen from Nottingham in 1863

 October 22^nd 1863 

Turning my 6 inch Cooke telescope upon Venus I was much surprised to see almost the whole of the unilluminated disc of the planet; it was so striking I appearance, that I thought it must be the resemblance of the Moon, which made me fancy that I could see the unilluminated portion. 

My sister in law, whom I called to witness the planet, but without telling her what to look for, said she instantly saw the whole disc. The atmosphere was beautifully clear, but still the planet was so far past conjunction, that I should scarcely have imagined the phenomena would be visible.

 

J F Barber, Stanton by Dale Nottingham

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A little ramble through Dorado the Goldfish

 

Dorado is a modern constellation in the southern hemisphere it cannot be seen from Britain.  Dorado was one of twelve constellations named by Petrus Plancius on his star globe of 1597 and was based on information sent back by the Dutch navigators Pieter Keyser and Frederick Houtman, when they voyaged to the southern hemisphere. The constellation then appeared on a star map produced by Johan Bayer in 1603.

The term Dorado today is usually translated as the goldfish which is how it appears on modern star maps. However, the name Dorado is Spanish for mahi-mahi, or the dolphinfish. The mahi-mahi has an opalescent skin that turns blue and gold as the fish dies. This may very well be the reason Dorado is sometimes called the goldfish.

There are very few bright stars in Dorado, alpha which has no name is a magnitude 3.3 star and lies at a distance of 169 light years, and is an A class star hotter than the Sun. 

Beta which again has no name but is s member of the important Cepheid class of stars that astronomers use to determine how far away the stars are. Beta varies between magnitude 3.5 and 4.1 and is 1,040 light years away. The first of the cepheid variable stars was discovered by John Goodricke the deaf astronomer in York in 1784.

By far the most interesting object in Dorado is the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) a dwarf galaxy around 170,000 light years away. The first recorded mention of the LMC was by the Persian astronomer `Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi Shirazi, (later known in Europe as "Al Sufi"), in his Book of Fixed Stars published around 964 CE. The next recorded observation was in 1503–4 by Amerigo Vespucci, Ferdinand Magellan sighted the LMC on his voyage in 1519, and his writings brought the LMC into common Western knowledge. The galaxy now bears his name.

The LMC is the fourth-largest galaxy in the Local Group, after the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the Milky Way, and the Triangulum Galaxy (M33). There is a Small Magellanic Cloud in the constellation of Tucana the Toucan.

The LMC contains around 10 million stars. It can easily be seen with the naked eye. There are lots of important star clusters and nebula in the LMC including the Tarantula Nebula. This was first observed by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille when he was observing at the Cape of Good Hope between 1751 and 1752.

The Tarantula Nebula is a massive star forming area within the LMC if it was as close as the Orion Nebula another star forming area and only 1,500 light years away it would be so bright that it would cast shadows.

One of thing to mention about the LMC was that in 1987 a bright supernova appeared. The supernova was discovered by Ian Shelton and Oscar Duhalde at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile on February 24, 1987, and within the same 24 hours independently by the amateur astronomer Albert Jones in New Zealand.  The supernova reached a peak magnitude of about 3.0 in May before its brightness declined in the following months.

Four days after the event was recorded, the progenitor star was identified as Sanduleak −69° 202, a blue supergiant

It was only in 2019 over 30 years after the explosion that astronomers found the central neutron star.

This star is known as SN1987A and as it is the closest supernova to us since the invention of the telescopes it has been studied extensively by astronomers and has allowed them to learn a great deal about how a supernova works.

                                                     www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk