Cooke Telescope Tales- lift for a Yorkshire Bank in 1874

 York Herald Wednesday 23^rd December 1874 

York City and County Bank 

The spacious new and enlarged bank offices in Parliament Street, which have been in progress of erection during the last eighteen months, for the use of this company, will be opened to the public for business on Monday morning next. The present bank was erected in 1835. 

Below there is ample strong room accommodation which is connected to the bank by means of ingenious hydraulic lifts, provided by Messrs T Cooke and Sons.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

A Little ramble through Lepus the Hare

 A constellation known to the ancient Greeks, it represents a hare cunningly located at the feet of Orion. The Hare was placed in the sky for Orion to Hunt. This was due to the great devastation caused by hares in the island of Sicily.

To the early Arab astronomers Lepus was known as Al Kursiyy al Jabbar or the Chair of the Giant.

Later the Arab astronomer Al Sufi sometimes called the constellation Asl Nihal or the Thirst Slacking Camel because of its closeness to the Milky Way.

Alpha or Arneb which means ‘Hare’ is a magnitude 2.6 star, it is a F class supergiant star lying at a distance of 2,200 light years. It will end its life as a supernova.

Beta or Nihal which means ‘Quenching their Thirst’ is a magnitude 2.8 star lying at a distance of 160 light years. It is a G class giant class star.

Epsilon has a brightness of magnitude 3.2 it’s an orange K class giant star 213 light years away.

R sometimes called Hind's Crimson Star, it’s a well-known variable star. It is named after famous British astronomer J. R. Hind, who observed it in 1845. The colour of R is an intense smoky red and has been described by various observers as resembling a glowing coal, a ruby, or an illuminated drop of Blood. Its magnitude varies from +5.5 to +11.7 with a period of 418–441 days. R lies around 1,300 light years away. 

Messier 79

A globular cluster discovered by Messier in 1780 and lying at a distance of 42,000 light years.  It has a magnitude of 8.6.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - occultation by Jupiter seen from Canada in 1896

 Dr J C Donaldson of Fergus, Ontario, Canada using a 3.5 inch Thomas Cooke telescope obtained a glimpse of the 9^th magnitude star in Cancer just before it was occulted by Jupiter on May 22^nd 1896. 

Several other observers had attempted to watch the occultation in Canada many with much larger telescopes but were unsuccessful.

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - new telescope for Greenwich Observatory in 1888

 London Daily News Thursday 8^th March 1888 

An Addition to Greenwich Observatory. 

FLAMSTEED’S famous institution on  Greenwich Hill has been crowned with another dome. Nine or ten years ago Professor GREENE  of the Polytechnic  Institute at Troy, desiring to construct a dome on a somewhat larger scale than usual, found  that the heavy metal roof ordinarily set up would require a more substantial  structure  than he co could conveniently provide, and that powerful of machinery would be necessary for making it revolve. He determined to try what could be re done with papier mache. The experiment was a complete success. His dome proved as strong as though constructed of wood and iron, and so light that it could be turned without machinery  of any kind. 

Greenwich shortly after had  occasion to construct, a dome, and very wisely adopted the new material.  The one just now completed is the second constructed during Mr. CHRISTIE'S regime. It is eighteen feet in  diameter, and is designed for the Cooke  6-inch  equatorial telescope, with a photo-heliograph  tube attached to the same mount.  This combined instrument is to be carried on a huge as block of stone weighing 3 tons, and will stand at a sufficient elevation above the other  buildings and the surrounding trees to command a complete view of the sun throughout in the day. 

 This is what Greenwich has been unable to do hitherto, and in his last report to the Board of Visitors the ASTRONOMER ROYAL draws attention to the difficulty under which  the work of the photo-heliograph has been n carried on in past years owing to the want of  such an observatory as he has now succeeded in  setting up, though as yet unfortunately the funds for the complete equipment of the new al building are not forthcoming. It has been hinted, by those who certainly are in a  position to be well informed, that unless somewhat greater liberality be extended  to the Observatory it may become necessary to discontinue the time signals, upon which the country has come to rely almost  as implicitly as on the rising and setting of the sun. 

 It would certainly be a novel sensation for the public to find their supply of Greenwich time cut off, after the manner of the water companies when they cannot get their money. This is certainly rather a formidable screw  Mr. CHRISTIE has at command, though it is to be hoped he may not have occasion to apply it to  the Treasury. There is no doubt, however, that to stint funds at Greenwich Observatory is very  poor policy. Its practical utility in all sorts of ways is simply incalculable. 

 We may add to what has been stated about the new building, that it is here that Greenwich will take its a share in the projected complete photographic  map of the starry heavens.

                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A Little Ramble Through 19th Century Astronomy - star 27 Canis Minor in 1875

 Nature June 17^th 1875

Mr J E Gore (Umballa, Punjab) writes, under May 5^th 1875 that he believes that the star 27 Canis Minoris to be a variable star. It is 4 in Hardin’s Atlas but at present about 5.5 or 6, and much inferior to 28 Canis Minoris which Harding rates at 5.

The change in Brightness was first noticed in 1874. This star is 4.5 in the Radcliffe Catalogues, % in Arg Zones, 5.5 in Lacaille and 6.5 in Heis’ catalogue; Behrmann has 6, and the lowest estimate of magnitude 7 is in Flamsteed’s catalogue, with respect to which Baily remarks that there is  no magnitude recorded in the original observation book, and that the modern observation makes it 4.5.

Mr Gore states he has also suspected some variations in light in the red star 22 Canis Majoris; it is usually rated as of magnitude 3 or 3.5, but for some time past it has seemed rather fainter than an ordinary star of the fourth magnitude. Bradley and Piazzi have this star 3.4 magnitude, while Flamsteed, Brisbane and Heis have it at 4, the Washington General 5, and it is so rated once by Argelander; in Behrmann it is 4.5.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little Ramble Through 19th Century Astronomy - T Corona Borealis

 Astronomical Register August 1866

To the editor,

Sir- So interesting have been the phenomena attending the extraordinary increase in brightness of the small star in the Bonn Catalogue known as T Coronae, that an enumeration of its successive independent discoveries can hardly fail to be acceptable.

The first discoverer was Mr Birmingham of Tuam in Ireland who saw it about midnight on the 12^th May and described it them as of the 2^nd magnitude.

The next evening, May 13^th it was independently discovered by Herr Schmidt, the director of the observatory at Athens, who saw it about 9h local time, as soon as the clouds broke, and calls it a little fainter than alpha coronae; and by M. Courbe-Caisse at Rochefort.

On the night of May 14 it was detected the other side of the Atlantic by Mr S C Chandler, assistant to Mr Gould, on the United States Coast Survey. He starts that in magnitude it was between beta and gamma Herculis-nearer to gamma.

The last independent discoverer, so far as is yet known, was Mr Baxendell of Manchester, who discovered it on May 15.

On May 16 the spectrum was observed by Mr Huggins and Dr Miller, and those extraordinary phenomena noticed which are known to astronomers.

I am Sir, yours faithfully W T Lynn

Greenwich July 6 1866

PS- July 19.

This morning, I have received No 1597 of the Astronomische Nachrichten, in which another independent discovery of T Coronae is announced in America. Being made at Washington on the night of May 12^th, corresponding to the morning of May 13^th in Europe, it ranks second or next to Mr Birmingham’s in order of priority. The discoverer was Mr Farqubar , as the name is printed in the Ast Nac; it should probably be Farquhar of the Patent Office.

I had overlooked that besides Mr Chandler, another gentleman in the western hemisphere – Mr Barker of London, Canada West- detected the star on May 14.

My list is now, I am pretty confident, complete unless we hear of earlier discoveries in Asia, which however, cannot anticipate Mr Birmingham’s by more than an hour or two.

                                                       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 - telescope for sale in Liverpool 1885

 Pall Mall Gazette Friday 2^nd January 1885 

 ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY WITH  TELESCOPE AND APPOINTMENTS COMPLETE. 

To be SOLD, a bargain, on account of the owner's eyesight, an excellent Equatorial-mounted  TELESCOPE by Cooke, 4.5 inch diam.; Dawe's solar and numerous other eyepieces, micrometer, induction  coil and battery, automatic and star spectroscopes, spark condenser, clock by Cooke, barometer 7-10  diam., observing chair, complete sets of the memoirs and monthly notice's of the R.A.S., Astronomical Register and Observatory,  with indexes, and a number of other astronautical works, all in the best possible condition. The above presents a very rate opportunity  to astronomical students 

Address  "Telescope," care of Lee and Nightingale, Advertising Agents,  Liverpool

                                                     www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - observatory and telescope for sale in Liverpool in 1885

 Pall Mall Gazette, Friday 2^nd January 1885 

 

ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY WITH  TELESCOPE AND APPOINTMENTS COMPLETE.

 

To be SOLD, a bargain, on account of the owner's eyesight, an excellent Equatorial-mounted  TELESCOPE by Cooke, 4.5 inch diam.; Dawe's solar and numerous other eyepieces, micrometer, induction  coil and battery, automatic and star spectroscopes, spark condenser, clock by Cooke, barometer 7-10  diam., observing chair, complete sets of the memoirs and monthly notice's of the R.A.S., Astronomical Register and Observatory,  with indexes, and a number of other astronautical works, all in the best possible condition. The above presents a very rate opportunity  to astronomical students

 

Address  "Telescope," care of Lee and Nightingale, Advertising Agents,  Liverpool.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - Sunderland Scientific Exhibition 1882

 Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette Friday 17^th February 1882

 The Sunderland Scientific and Industrial Exhibition 

The exhibition will be held at the Skating Rink Hudson Road and included Mr John G Allison of the Old Rectory Monkwearmouth, who exhibited a portable telescope which will be found worthy of our astronomical students.

 The object glass in 4 inches in diameter and 5 feet focal length withy polished brass tube and finder attached. It has 4 eyepieces powers from 80 to 300 and is fixed on a strong polished walnut tripod stand. 

I believe this the telescope purchased by John G Allison in 1866 from Thomas Cooke and Sons when Mr Allison was living at 12 Cumberland Row Newcastle.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

 

Cooke Telescope Tales - John Dansken and the Patrickhill Observatory

John Dansken who was born in Glasgow in 1836 was by profession a surveyor and 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 in 1905.

                                                         www.theramblingastrtonomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - TW Backhouse and comet Swift 1892

TW Backhouse of Sunderland using his 4.5 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope reports on comet Swift 1892. He says that there appeared to be little notice of this comet. Backhouse said that he saw the comet on April 26^th 1892 through a miniature spectroscope on his Cooke telescope. Although the best views of the comet so far were obtained on April 29^th when although faint it was visible to the naked eye. The comet had a tail 11 degrees long. On April 30^th the head of the comet was about 4^th magnitude and was seen between mu and lambda Pegasus.

                                                         www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Uranus and Neptune in 1875

 Academy, Saturday 16^th October 1875

The Satellites of Uranus and Neptune.— Since the completion of the great Washington refractor of twenty-six inches’ aperture, it has been devoted to the observation of these objects, which are too faint for any but the very largest telescopes. Professor Newcomb, who made the micrometer measures, has discussed them in an appendix to the Washington Observations, arriving at the conclusion that the orbits of these satellites are all sensibly circular (being certainly less eccentric than those of the planets of our system), and that those of the Uranian system lie in one plane.

Only one satellite to Neptune has been detected, though a second was repeatedly looked for, and no trace of any satellites exterior to the four known members of the Uranian system has been seen, though Sir W. Herschel concluded there were six. From the excessive faintness of the four satellites of Uranus, Professor Newcomb considers that their masses can hardly exceed 1/15,000  of that of the planet, so that their mutual perturbations would be insensible, while the sun’s disturbing  effect is exceedingly small, and thus the problem of determining their motions becomes comparatively simple.

The chief importance of this problem is that it gives the masses of Uranus and Neptune more accurately than any other method, all that is required for this purpose being to know the greatest apparent distance of one of the satellites from its primary and the period of revolution. In this way Professor Newcomb finds the mass of Uranus to be 1/ 22,600  of that of the sun, a result which is probably true within 1/200 part , while the mass of Neptune is 1/19,400 .One element of uncertainty in these results is the chromatic aberration of the eye-piece used n 1873, the webs being illuminated by red light, while that of the satellites is greenish yellow, so that the web is not really on the satellite when it appears to be. The effect of this is that there is a difficulty in converting the measured distance into seconds of arc. Professor Newcomb has not been able to detect any markings on Uranus and can therefore form no conclusion as to the period of rotation, which is a matter of some interest.

                                                      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 - telescope for Brighton in 1857

  In 1857 Charles Howell (1783-1867) of Hove, Brighton purchased a 6.25 inch Thomas Cooke of York telescope, it was similar in design to the one that was exhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1855.

 The telescope would be placed into an observatory, which I believe was built locally and not a Cooke observatory. Later after 1864 he also purchased a 7.5 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope. It was this telescope that Mr Fry used to photograph the Moon with in 1865. This telescope was housed in a separate observatory and again this observatory appears to be locally made. 

He was also interested in double stars and planets, and because of his age he often let his many friends in the Brighton area use his telescopes.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

 

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - satellites of Saturn in 1875

 Academy, Saturday 17^th July 1875

Satellites of Saturn.—ln the Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 2043, Mr. Marth gives an ephemeris of the satellites of Saturn, which will greatly facilitate observations of these objects, as they are very liable to be confused with small stars in the neighbourhood.

There is considerable uncertainty about the positions of the innermost satellite Mimas and the outermost lapetus, and no ephemeris is given for Hyperion, the last discovered, as trustworthy observations are wanting for this satellite. The places of the other five are tolerably correct, but observations are much wanted of this extremely interesting system about which so little is known, the mutual perturbations of the satellites and the effect of the ring being most important questions, which can only be solved by accumulated observations.

 With the view of facilitating these, Mr, Marth has given the approximate times of conjunction of the several satellites with the planet. Eclipses, occultations, and transits only occur when the earth is nearly in the plane of the ring (every fifteen years), except in the case of Titan, whose orbit is considerably inclined to the ring.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through Leo Minor the Lesser Lion

 The smaller Lion designated by Johannes Hevelius in 1687, located between Ursa Major and Leo. Leo Minor hardly merits a separate name as there are no bright stars. He designed 10 new constellations, and we still use 7 of them today.

There are some suggestions that the stars that form Leo Minor were once identified by the Arab astronomers as Al Thiba wa-Auladuha or the Gazelle and her young.

The brightest star is 46 Leo Minoris with a magnitude of 3.8, its an orange K class giant star lying at a distance of 95 light years.

                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - John Robertson of Coupar Angus 1830-1920

 John Robertson of Coupar Angus 1830-1920 owned a fine Thomas Cooke of York 3 inch refractor telescope. His interest in astronomy began in 1848 when he heard Dr Thomas Dick give a series of astronomical lectures.

 He spent many hours observing the sky, including sunspot observations and comets and meteors.  He was self educated and he had to fit all his observations of the sky around his work. He was employed by the Caledonian Railway. 

He sent many articles to newspapers including the Scotsman and some of the Dundee Daily newspapers. Among the astronomers he correspond with were Sir W.H. M. Christie, Richard A Proctor, Sir Robert Ball and Ralph Copeland. 

He was still using the 3 inch Cooke telescope as late as August 1917 to observe sunspots, with his advanced age his daughter had to help move and adjust the telescope.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Stars, Saturn and photographs

 Academy, Saturday 19^th June 1875

 

Royal Astronomical Society (Friday, June 11). Professor Adams, President, in the Chair.

A paper by Mr. Knobel was read, giving some results of measures of magnitudes of stars with his astrometer, described in a previous paper, the principle of the instrument being to reduce the aperture of the telescope by means of a variable triangular diaphragm till the star disappeared. Mr.Knobel  pointed out several discordances between his results and the magnitudes given by Argelander in his Uranometria, though those of the Bonn Durchmusterung agreed better.

 Mr, Marth called attention to approaching phenomena of the satellites of Saturn, the most important of which, however (those of Titan), would only be visible in Australia and in the United States, the period of revolution being very nearly sixteen sidereal days, so that occultations and transits of this satellite would take place at the same sidereal hour for many successive periods, and at these times Saturn would be below our horizon. Mr. Marth expressed a hope that the great Melbourne reflector might be used for these observations, and Mr. Russell promised that he would employ the 11-inch refractor of the Sydney Observatory for this purpose.

 Captain Abney, R.E., gave a description of his Diaphanometer, an instrument which he had devised primarily for measuring the opacity of photographic films after exposure to light under different conditions, and which he had since applied to other questions in photometry. In this instrument the collodion film was compared with a graduated wedge of smoke-coloured glass. Captain Abney also exhibited an ingenious form of spectroscope in which the brightness of any part of the spectrum of a star could be compared with that of the spectrum of a standard source of light, the two spectra being brought one above the other in the same field by means of reflection prisms.

Some other short papers of a purely technical character followed, after which a note by Mr. Proctor on “ Photography in the Transit of Venus” was read, to which Mr. Russell, Mr. De La Rue, and Mr. Christie replied, and Mr. Neison mentioned, as bearing on the question of the atmosphere of Venus (which  Mr Proctor had incidentally  referred to), that Professor Lymans had observed Venus as a bright ring five hours before the commencement of the late transit.

                                                     www.theramblingatsronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - transit of Mercury observed in 1878 from Peeblesshire

Robert Mathison of Innerleithen Peeblesshire observed the Transit of Mercury on May 6^th 1878 using a Thomas Cooke of York 4.1 inch telescope. 

The transit was seen from the ‘observatory’ no trace of the planet could be seen outside the disk of the Sun. A small group of sunspots were seen on the Sun close to the planet at 4.40 pm. 

One point that caught the attention of Mathison was that a bright white point of light which he followed until 5.30 pm when the Sun was covered by clouds. Other observers at this location confirmed the sighting of the bright white spot.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - sunspots observed from Thornton in Craven in early 1860s

On December 14^th 1864 Thomas Wilson of Thornton in Craven using a 4.25 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope observed a solitary spot on the surface of the Sun. He says that in sketching the spot immediately after apparent noon, finding the penumbral outline and radial shading considerably confused and indistinct, especially on the eastern side, my attention was drawn to its surrounding neighbourhood, where I was agreeably surprised by the realisation of the elongated very minute lenticular forms, which have been compared to willow leaves, overlapping the penumbra and, and diffused over the whole surface. 

Wilson goes onto say that in making 97 sketches of spots during the last three and a half years, nearly all after taking meridian transits, I never before saw anything beyond the mottled surface, which has been described as parchment, rice grain,  flocculent chemical precipitate like appearances &; I have supposed that depending on the state of the air this was beyond the reach of a small telescope such as my 4.25 inch Cooke.

                                                      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.

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - The star Lalande 19662 in Sextans in 1875

 Nature, May 13^th 1875

The star Lalande 19662 in Sextans-

Mr J E Gore, of Umballa, Punjab, directs attention to the probable variability of this star. It was observed by Lalande on April 10^th 1798 in “Histoire Celeste” p 330, where its magnitude is entered 4.5, as in the reduced catalogue published by the British Association.

 It appears in Heis’s Atlas as a magnitude 6.7; but after searching through the modern catalogues where it was likely to be included, we have only discovered a single meridian observation by Lamont in his zone 314, on April 5^th 1845, when he called it magnitude 7.8.

It does not occur in Argelander’s “Uranometria”, nor was it observed by D’Agelet, Bessel or Santini.

 Another of Lalande’s stars No. 23726 in Corvus, is in all probability variable. He estimated it at magnitude 7.5 on May 10^th 1795, and Bessel in May 1824 called it magnitude 8.0. Heis, however, saw it as a 5^th magnitude star. What is the actual degree of brightness? 

                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - shadows of jupiter's satellites in the 1870s

 Academy, Saturday 16^th January 1875

 Shadows of Jupiter's Satellites—During the last four years Mr. Burton has frequently observed that the shadows of Jupiter's satellites projected on the disc of the planet during transit were elliptical, and that this was, as a rule, the case only when Jupiter was near quadrature, and the shadow therefore seen obliquely.

Mr. Burton's explanation of the phenomenon is that the shadow falls on cumulus clouds, which give rise to the markings on Jupiter’s disc, these clouds being dark and therefore invisible wherever the shadow falls, but in full sunshine scattering the light in all directions. The shadow will thus present exactly the same appearance as a cylindrical hole which sends no light to the eye but allows light from the bright clouds forming its boundary to pass; and such a hole, when viewed obliquely, will appear the more elliptical the greater its depth.

From his estimations of the ellipticity on different occasions, Mr. Burton has deduced a depth of atmosphere of from 3,000 to 9,000 miles, a result which would accord well with the small density of Jupiter as a whole, only a quarter that of the earth. On the hypothesis that the bright clouds are scattered at different levels in an atmosphere of considerable thickness, the observed decrease of brightness near the limb is explained by supposing the sunlight to pass freely into space through interstices between the clouds near the limb, so that none of it is received back again by the eye. Mr. Burton's paper is given in the Monthly Notices for December.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - Transit of Mercury observed from Liverpool in 1868

George Williams using a 4.25 inch Cooke & Sons telescope observed the transit of Mercury on November 5^th 1868 from 2, Devonshire Road, Prince’s Park Liverpool. 

Williams observed no apparent elongation or pear shape, or black drop at the egress of the planet; but the boiling of the limb, which was considerable, may account for the absence of these appearances.

 

                                                         www.thramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope tales - telescope for Peckham in 1865

 In April 1865 William Bolger Gibbs (1834-1925) of Talford Road, Peckham purchased a 4 inch telescope from Thomas Cooke & Sons York, a little later he purchased a 5.5 inch refractor which he housed in an observatory, I cannot say if this was a Cooke telescope or not. 

He was described as the “Father of the London Stock Exchange”  but apart from his business he loved science and in particular astronomy. 

He was friends with his near neighbour James Buckingham of Walworth who owned the 21 inch refracting telescope.

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through Leo the Lion

Leo the Lion is a fantastic spring constellation, its one of the few constellations that looks like the figure it is supposed to represent. The lion’s head is outlined by a sickle of backwards question mark which at the bottom is the bright star Regulus.

In ancient Greece Leo represents the Nemean Lion which originally came from the Moon, and after his earthly stay, is carried back to the heavens with his slayer Hercules.

It is rather ironic that although Hercules slays the lion, in the sky the constellation of Leo the Lion is much more prominent than Hercules.

The Egyptian king Necepsos taught that at the creation the Sun rose here from near the star Denebola which is in Leo.

The Persians called the constellation Ser, the Turks called it Artan, the Syrians knew it as Aryo, the Jews called it Arye while to the Babylonians it was Aru- all the names mean a Lion.

On Ninevite cylinders Leo is depicted as in fatal conflict with a bull, typifying the victory of light over darkness; and in Euphratean astronomy it was additionally known as Gisbar-namru-sa-pan, variously translated as the Shinning One which precedes Bel; this is our Ursa Major.

Throughout antiquity the Lion and the constellation always have been identified with the Sun, indeed in all historic ages till it finally appears on the royal arms of England, as well as those of many of the early noble families of England. During the 12^th century it was the only animal shown on Anglo Saxon shields.

 Alpha or Regulus which means ‘Prince or Little King, lies 79 light years away, it has a brightness of magnitude 1.4 Regulus is a B class star with a surface temperature 12,000’C, much hotter than our Sun at 5,800’C.

Regulus was the leader of the four Royal Stars of the ancient Persians, The Four Guardians of the Heavens. The other three are Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus, Aldebaran in Taurus and Antares in Scorpio.

The Arab astronomer Al Biruni called Regulus the Heart of the Royal Lion, which “rises when Suhail rises in Al Hijaz”.  Another Arab name for the Lion’s Heart was Al Kalb al Asad. The title of the Lion’s heart was also recognised by Greek and Roman astronomers.

To Euphratean astronomers the star was Gus-ba-ra, The Flame or the Red Fire of the House of the East.

Beta or Denebola is derived from the Arabic name of Al Dhanab al Asad of the Lion’s Tail. The Arab astronomer Al Biruni wrote of the star, “The heat turns away when it rises, and the cold turns away when it disappears”

The Persians knew the star as Avdem or the One in the Tail, while the Khorasmians called it Wilhayu or the Burning One.

Gamma or Algeiba which means ‘Lions Mane’, is an orange class K giant star with a magnitude of 2.1 and is 130 light years away.

Delta or Zosma which means ‘Girdle or hip’ is an A class star lying at a distance of 58 light years, Zosma has a magnitude of 2.6.  Ulug Beg called the star Al Thahr al Asad, or the Lion’s Back.

The Chinese saw this star as Shang Seang or the Higher Minister of State.

There are five messier galaxies in Leo all require telescopes to be seen.

M65,

A galaxy lying about 35 million light years away, it was discovered by Messier in 1780 at magnitude 10, a telescope is needed to find it. M65 together with M66 and NGC 3628 form what astronomers call the Leo triplet of galaxies. They can all be seen close together in the sky.

M66

M66 at mag 8.9 is brighter than M65 and can be glimpsed with binoculars but telescopes will allow you to see it much better. It was discovered by Messier in 1780.  It lies at a distance of around 31 million light years. There have been 5 supernovae seen in M66 in 1973.1989,1997, 2014 and 2016, a reason why these galaxies are very popular with astrophotographers.

NGC 3628

Known as the Hamburger Galaxy it is the third member of the Leo Triplet of galaxies. It lies at a distance of 35 million light years and shines at magnitude 10. I am somewhat surprised that Messier did not see this galaxy as it lies so close to M65 and M66

M95

Lying at a distance of 33 million light years M95 has a magnitude of 11.4. A supernova was seen here in 2012.

M96

With a magnitude of 10, M96 is too faint to be seen with binoculars. It lies at a distance of 31 million light years and was discovered in 1781. A supernova was seen in 1998.

M105

Yet another galaxy lying at a distance of 36 million light years. Again, it has a magnitude of 10. Messier would have seen M105 in 1781.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

 

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - European observatories in 1874

 Nature, October 8th 1874

France, Germany and Austria are vying with each other in astronomical activity. In the grounds of the Paris Observatory a 4-foot Foucault mirror is being erected and M. Le Verrier has already obtained a grant for a 30 inch refractor.

The Vienna Observatory is also making arrangements for the reception of a telescope of similar aperture. Messrs Merz have nearly completed a lens of 20 inches aperture, for the university of Strassburg.

In France, the newly created Ecole Speciale des Hautes Etudes is being taken advantage of to form a school of astronomy; in Germany and America many such schools already exist, thanks to the rational administration of their observatories, the assistants in which are the pupils, friends and potential successors of the director.

                                                     www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - astrophotography in Newcastle in 1890

In 1890 Lawrence Richardson of Newcastle on Tyne using a 4.5 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope undertook some research into astronomical photography using his telescope which was an achromatic.  He was not that hopeful of getting really sharp images, the Cooke & Sons photo visual telescope would not be available until he mid 1890s. 

Richardson found that he could take a photograph of Orion which would show hundreds of stars and which would take around about an hour. He went on to say that he thought that astrophotography was a very good field for amateur astronomers to work in and obtain good results.

                                                       www.thramblingastronomer.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.

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Mars in 1877

 Academy, Saturday 18^th December 1875

The Opposition of Mars, 1877.—The Astronomer Royal has given a chart of the path of Mars in 1877, with neighbouring stars down to the ninth magnitude taken from Bessel's Zones, the object being to facilitate observations of the parallax of Mars in this important opposition, when the planet approaches more closely than usual to the earth, owing to the position of its eccentric orbit.

 Although it is hoped that the sun’s parallax will be determined with considerable accuracy by the late transit of Venus, astronomers cannot afford to throw away the opportunity which the planet Mars offers of getting an independent, and possibly equally trustworthy, determination, more especially when it is remembered how important a part the observations of Mars in 1861 (the last opposition which was favourable for this purpose ) played in correcting the results obtained from the transit of Venus in 1769, For observations of Mars no special expeditions will be necessary, all that is required being to measure the apparent distances of the planet from neighbouring pairs of stars at northern and southern Observatories, and also at the same Observatory, when the planet is rising and when it is setting. The latter class of observation enables an observer to determine the sun’s distance by measures made entirely at his own Observatory, the rotation of the earth providing him with a base line from east to west.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - in 1865 even a Cooke telescope could not see through trees

 Mt T H Waller of York in 1865 and using a 4.75 inch Cooke telescope was trying to observe the satellites of Jupiter when unfortunately, the planet was obscured by some trees, and he was unable to see the immersion of the second satellite or the transit of the third. Fortunately, by the time that the fourth satellite was passing in front of Jupiter it had cleared the trees. 

Mr Waller was also a very keen double star observer he would often use the double star catalogue of Mr Brothers of Manchester and the Bedford Catalogue.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

 

 

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - possible solar observatory for Potsdam in 1874

 Nature, September 17^th 1874

The German Government has determined upon the erection of a Sun Observatory upon a large scale at Potsdam. Drs Spoerer and Vogel have already been appointed to undertake telescopic and spectroscopic observations, and the directorship has been offered to Prof Kirchhoff, who however has declined it as he is unwilling to leave Heidelberg.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - Saturn observed from Sunderland in 1890

 Dr J Haswell, Grange Terrace, Sunderland in 1890 

Observed the spot on Saturn that had been seen by Dr Terby in March 1890. He saw the spot on several  nights in March , and he described it as being very obvious on March 30^th, though not so noticeable as it had been last spring. 

Haswell used a 4.25 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons telescope which was of short focal length

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through Lacerta the Lizard

 Another modern faint constellation, this time in the northern sky, Lacerta the Lizard was created by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the early 1680s. The constellation is sandwiched between Cygnus and Andromeda. Hevelius created several small faint constellations in the northern sky. Most are so faint that their stars could easily have been put into larger classical Greek constellations.  Lacerta is such an example.

Hevelius drew a strange weasel shaped creature with a curly tail. Hevelius did suggest an alternative name that of Stellio the Stellion a newt with star like dorsal spots found along the Mediterranean coast. John Flamsteed the first astronomer royal drew a picture of a greyhound here. Today it is just Lacerta the Lizard.

The Chinese considered this area of the sky to be part of their constellation of the Flying Serpent.

There were other suggestions for constellations in this area, the Sceptre and Hand of Justice created by the French astronomer Augustin Royer in 1697 to commemorate King Lous XIV. The German astronomer Johann Bode in 1787 called this area Frederick’s glory in honour of King Frederick II of Prussia. Both have been discarded in favour of Lacerta.

There is only one bright star, alpha with a magnitude of 3.7, it’s an A class star making it much hotter than the Sun, alpha is 102 light years away.

Although there are no bright stars in Lacerta it is worthwhile looking at because the Milky way galaxy passes through it and this is an area of space where nova often occur. Although Lacerta is a small constellation there were three novae in the 20^th century in 1910, 1936 and 1950.

A nova is a binary star system with two stars, one a small hot white dwarf the other a much larger but cooler giant star. The white dwarf pulls gas from its companion towards it and when enough has been pulled off the giant star a shell of gas is thrown into space. The star suddenly appears in the sky where no naked eye star had been seen before. A long time ago these were called a Nova which is Latin for new because astronomers thought these were stars being created. We now know that they are older stars just going through their timelines. Although today we still use the old term of nova to describe these stars.

There are no bright deep sky objects in Lacerta.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - new observatory in South America in 1874

 Academy Saturday 19^th December 1874

 —M. Gonzalez, the Director of the National Observatory of Columbia, is about to establish a private observatory for astronomical physics at Bogota  at an altitude of 10,000 feet, and nearly on the equator a most  favourable situation for the application of the spectroscope to the sun and planets, as they may there be observed in the zenith, while the observatory will be removed above the grosser portion of the atmosphere.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

The Full Egg Moon on April 2nd

 On April 2nd there will be a full moon, this is nothing strange as there is a full moon each month. They all have there own names. Today the press in the UK tend to use the American names for the full moons which come from the Old Farmers Almanac. These names date back to 1792.

However I prefer to use the old English names that go back to the beginning of the monastic period of history during the Anglo Saxon period. They have been good enough for well over 1400 years and I see no reason to stop using them now.

The full moon in April according to the Old Farmers Almanac is the Pink Moon so called because of pink flowers that bloom at this time of year.

The old English name for the full moon in April is the Egg Moon, this however has nothing to do with Easter but due to the increasing amount of daylight. As the period of daylight increases the hens, geese and ducks start to lay more eggs.

                                                      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.

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - The star cluster in Sobieski's shiled in 1869 and 1870

 Academy Saturday 28^th November 1874

—ln the years 1869 and 1870 Professor Helmert, at the Hamburg Observatory, determined the positions of some two hundred stars belonging to the cluster in Sobieski’s Shield. This cluster, which was discovered by Kirch in 1681, was carefully observed by Dr. Lamont at Munich between 1836 and 1839, and the places of about 150 stars in its most condensed part were then fixed with considerable accuracy for comparison with subsequent observations. These Professor Helmert has now made after the lapse of more than thirty years, so that if any change has occurred, and especially if there has been any condensation going on, it ought to be clearly shown by comparing the two sets of measures. The two series, however, agree so closely, that the second set may be looked upon simply as a verification of the first—a result which, though disappointing with respect to the object in view, must yet be gratifying to both the observers concerned, :. Evidence of the accuracy of the measures. Two charts present at a glance the results of the two determinations, the only noticeable difference being that Professor Helmert has included many more outlying stars in his area of operations.

www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope tales - sale of a large achromatic telescope in 1871

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 (in 2026 that would be around £114,000). 

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 (in 2026 that would be around 191,000) , 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.

                                                     www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk