Saturday, 15 February 2025

Thomas Cooke telescope to Belgrave Sq. London in 1858

 Sir Thomas Cunningham of Eaton Place, Belgrave Square, London purchased in 1858 from Thomas Cooke & Sons a universal 3.5 equatorial telescope. Later in 1859 he purchased from Cookes an equatorial mounting with tangent screw motion on a tripod for the latitude of Great Britain




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Friday, 14 February 2025

Mars and Saturn observed from India with a Cooke telescope in 1870

 The Rev J Spear observed Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in 1870 from Chukrata N W Provence's, Bengal using a Thomas Cooke & Sons 4.5 inch telescope.

 He also observed double stars using a Barlow lens more than doubling the telescopes powers.



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Thursday, 13 February 2025

Possible TLP seen with a Thomas Cooke telescope in 1867

 TLP’s or Transient Lunar Phenomenon are bright patches which can be seen on the surface of the Moon. They are caused by gas escaping through cracks on th surface of the Moon. The term Transient Lunar Phenomenon seems to have been first used by the TV astronomer Patrick Moore. 

On the 9th April 1867 TGE Elger from Bedford using a Thomas Cooke and Sons of York 4 inch telescope was waiting for the occultation by the Moon of the star 150 Taurus when a bright spot as bright as a 7th magnitude star appeared in the crater Aristarchus. 

The spot was seen from  7h 30 min to about 8h and 15 min and it became much fainter. At 9h it was scarcely visible through the 4 inch telescope. Elger used powers of 75 and 115 on his Cooke telescope. 

Could this be another example of an early observation of a TLP?



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Wednesday, 12 February 2025

Solar Eclipses and Valentine's Day

 We are approaching St. Valentine’s Day a very romantic date in the calendar, what could be more romantic than going out for a meal, being given a box of chocolates or a wonderful bunch of flowers or maybe even seeing a Valentine eclipse of the Sun. 

Sadly this year here will be no eclipse of the Sun on Valentine’s Day , the last total eclipse on St Valentine’s Day was in 1934, but if you want to hang on until the next total eclipse of the Sun on this most romantic of dates of the year you will have to wait until either  2306 or 2325.



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Monday, 10 February 2025

Full Moon on February 12th is the Snow Moon

 The full moon in February is called the Snow Moon. This is the month when we are most likely to see snow and to have the coldest weather of the year.




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The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country. 

I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the 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.

Saturday, 8 February 2025

Mercury seen with small Thomas Cooke telescope in 1868 from Hull

On February 15th 1868 at 6.15 pm William Lawton of Hull observed the planet Mercury, it was as he described one of the clearest views he had of that planet. 

Using powers of 50 and up to 100 on the 2 inch Cooke and Sons telescope he was able to observe the gibbous aspect of the planet and also took note of its brilliancy.



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Friday, 7 February 2025

Moon very near Mars on February 9th

 If you think that the Moon has kept us entertained over the past few days with encounters with the planets, well there is more to come.

The Moon will be very close to Mars the Red Planet on February 9th. Mars can be seen below the Moon

The Moon and Mars will be close to the bright stars Castor and Pollux these are the two brightest stars in the constellation of Gemini the Twins.

Gemini is another constellation in the Zodiac this is the area of sky where we always seen the planets




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Wednesday, 5 February 2025

The first Buchan cold period of the year Feb 7th-14th?

On February 7th we have the first of the Buchan Cold Periods of the year, this will run from February7th until February 14th. What is interesting is that the weather appears to be getting ready to become colder.

As an astronomer knowing what the weather is going to be like is important to me. I need to know if it is going to be clear in the evening so I can get my cameras set up to photograph the stars. Today the weather forecasts are made using state-of-the-art equipment but are there still old ideas that we need to be aware of.

These Buchan periods of the year formulated by Alexander Buchan an eminent meteorologist in the 19th century who working from his Edinburgh base, found that there were throughout the year periods when the temperature and conditions were either cooler or warmer than average, hence the names cold and warm periods. They appear to be quite reliable.


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Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Jupiter near the Moon on February 6th/7th

 The Moon and Jupiter which is the largest planet in the solar system will appear close together in the sky on the evening of February 6th. Jupiter will be the bright dot seen below the Moon. They will both be in the constellation of Taurus the Bull. Aldebaran is the brightest star in Taurus.

Taurus is a constellation in the Zodiac, this is the area of the sky where we always see the planets

If you can’t see them on February 6th the moon will still be close to and below the Moon on the evening of Fenbruary7th




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Monday, 3 February 2025

The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.

 I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the 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.

 

 

10 inch Thomas Cooke telescope in Denmark in 1905

On February 23rd 1905, V Neilson at the Urania Observatory using the Thomas Cooke and Sons 10 inch Telescope observed the crater Petavius. He found that in the northern part many rills. In making the observations powers of 328 and 447 were used on the Cooke telescope. 

Among the rills was a winding rill that attracted his attention. It came from the most northerly part of the central mountains and reaches in a North Westerly direction as far as the wall at the centre of the crater.


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Saturday, 1 February 2025

Land and water seen on Mars in 1862 with a Thomas Cooke telescope

 Mr Grove of Upper Harley Street London made drawings of Mars on October 26th, 31st and November 3rd 1862. He used a 4.5 inch telescope made by Thomas Cooke of York, the focal length was 6 feet. 

He was perfectly satisfied of there being notable changes in the distribution of the lights and shadows, inconsistent, it appears to him, there being land and water, or, as he should perhaps say, land and water only:


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