Cooke Telescope tales - Mosquito net helps Australian astronomers

 James Nangle at Marrickville in New South Wales using a 6.25 inch telescope which I have recently discovered was a Thomas Cooke rather than a Thomas Cooke and Sons telescope which means it was made before 1857, observed Mars in 1909. 

He described the darkish areas to have a greenish tinge, with the Mars Cimmerium and Syrtis Major looking like the tops of trees in an Australian valley when seen from the top of a mountain. The northern snows were also well seen. There appeared none of the canals that had been drawn by Schiaparelli or Lowell.

 On almost all occasions when a great increase in definition was required a screen of mosquito net was placed immediately in front of the object glass. Such a screen is evidently a good idea, since it slightly reduces the glare without interfering with the separating power, that vital point in all detailed planetary observations.

                                                         www.theramblingastronoer.co.uk

A little ramble through the night sky - The June micro Strawberry Moon

Most people will have heard of the supermoon but far fewer people will know of the micromoon. 

The Moon takes around one month to orbit the Earth. Its normal distance from us is 239,000 miles.  A micro moon occurs when the Moon is more than 250,000 miles away. A supermoon is when the Moon is less than 230,000 miles away.  This is why a supermoon appears larger than normal, while a micromoon appears smaller. The discrepancy happens because the Moon does not orbit the Earth in a circle but in an ellipse or egg shape.

On June 29th we will have the last of the Micromoons for 2026. This will be the the micro Strawberry Moon.

                                                   www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - R Lepus in 1876

 Nature February 17^th 1876

The Variable Star R Leporis

This highly coloured star, the variability of which was detected by Schmidt in 1855, is calculated to be at maximum on the 28^th of the present month. The mean period appears to be about 438 days, 230 days being occupied in passing from minimum to maximum, and 208 days from maximum to minimum.

Probably the irregularities of variation which have been suspected are to be mainly attributed to the difficulty attending comparison of a star of such intensely red colour. With regard to the colour, however there is something more thana suspicion that it has sensibly diminished in intensity sine attention was first directed to it (Hind 1845 October)

We are almost wholly indebted to Schmidt, who makes such excellent use of the favourable astronomical conditions under which he is placed at Athens, for our knowledge of the law of variation in R Leporis.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - alpha Centauri observeed in 1906

Alpha Centauri one of the leading double stars in the southern hemisphere was observed by G D Hirst using his 4.25 inch Cooke telescope and James Nangle using his 6.25 inch Cooke telescope in Australia in June and July 1906.

                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

 

A little ramble through Mensa the Table Mountain

 A constellation introduced by the French astronomer  Nicolas Lacaille in the 1750s.  It is a southern hemisphere group and celebrates the Table Mountain at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa from where he observed the night sky.

It’s one claim to fame is that part of the Large Magellanic Cloud strays from the neighbouring constellation of Dorado the Goldfish, over the border into Mensa possibly reminding Lacaille of the cloud that frequently covers the real Table Mountain.

Unfortunately, the constellation is very faint and unimportant.

The brightest star is alpha which at only magnitude 5.1 can be masked by any mist or moonlight. Alpha is a G class star, 33 light years away.

                                                     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 second comet of 1702

 Nature February 3^rd 1876

A complete reduction and discussion of the observation of this comet, taken at Rome by Bianchini and Maraldi, does not afford indications of elliptical motion, as might be surmised to exist from the small inclination of the orbit to the ecliptic and the direct movement. In fact these observations appear to be by no means precise, and the differences from calculation inter se are too irregular to afford any hope of sensibly improving upon the orbit given by Burckhardt.

Considering the differences of right ascension between the comet and com parison stars were taken by means of clocks, and the differences of declination measured by a micrometer scale, the arc value of which was determined by observation of the Sun’s diameter, rather better places might have been looked for.

The comet was its least distance from the earth on the night of April 19^th.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - Dark transit of Titan in 1907

On November 5^th / 6^th 1907 Mr A B Cobham and Mr G D Hirst using a 4.5 inch Thomas Cooke & Son telescope in Australia saw a dark spot on Saturn. This was afterwards ascertained to be Titan. 

They also both commented that they caught glimpse of the edge of the ring at flashes, the impression indicating the extreme fineness and delicacy of the rings when seen edgewise.

                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope tales - Jupiter observed from Australia in 1877

 York Herald Thursday 22^nd March 1877 

Important Astronomical Observations by means of a York telescope 

Strange news has been recently received from an Australian observatory (Adelaide). It might be described as revolutionising our ideas respecting the largest of the planets, were it not that the careful study of much older observations had already led the more advanced students of astronomy to adopt the theory which has now been demonstrated by direct observation.  

During the last eight or none years the belief has been gaining ground that the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn are in a state of intense heat and enwrapped in atmospheres of enormous depth and density. In fact it may be said that according to the new theory we never see the actual body of either Jupiter or Saturn, but only the outermost surfaces of the cloud layers; the real surfaces lying, not a few miles, or a few hundred miles but several thousand miles below the cloud surface measured by astronomers. 

It has been shown that all the phenomena presented by the two gas giants planets correspond with this theory, whereas not one in ten can be explained by the older theory. 

Fortunately in the case of Jupiter, we have evidence we have evidence from the Adelaide Observatory where a fine (8 inch) telescope by T Cooke & Sons of York has been erected, and where a singular purity of air greatly assists astronomical observation, two practised observers (Mr Todd and Mr Ringwood) on two different occasions, both observing  on each occasion saw the nearest of Jupiter’s satellites through the outer layer of the planet’s cloud laden atmosphere, which must, therefore, of necessity, be at least 2,000 miles in depth. 

In his book ‘Flowers in the Sky’ Richard Proctor makes references to this observation by Mr Todd and Mr Ringwood.

                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - occultation of Pleiadum in 1876

 Nature, January  20^th  1876

Atlas 27 Pleiadum

A very interesting observation was made at Strasburg on the occasion of the occultation of this star – a Struve’s difficillima – on the 7^th of the present month. As we recently stated, this star does not appear to have been seen double since the last Dorpat observation in 1830. On the 7^th inst., however Herr Hartwig observing at Strasburg with an excellent Fraunhofer of 42 lines aperture power 159, remarked that the star did not disappear instantaneously ; after the principal mass of light had vanished there remained a luminous point for about six tenths of a second, a circumstance which favours the duplicity of the object notwithstanding the failure of recent efforts to divide it.

It brings to our attention Burg’s observation of the occultation of Antares 1819 April 13, when at emersion the star appeared to suddenly increase from one of the sixth or seventh magnitude to one of the first, a phenomenon no doubt attributable to the existence of the small companion on the parallel, preceding the principal star (*Natrure, vol xii,p308).

The next occultation of the Atlas – Pleiadum on February 3 , will not be visible in this country, but may be well observed in the United States. The American ephemeris gives the time of immersion for Washington; at the observatory of Hamilton College, Clinton, NY so actively conducted by Prof. Peters, the immersion takes place at 11h 13m, and emersion at 12h 4m.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope tales - partial eclipse of sun in 1900

 A Partial solar eclipse of Sun May 28^th 1900  was observed using the G J Newbegin  9 inch Cooke telescope with a power of 75  by Mrs Newbegin and Rev T E R Phillips using the projection method. The image produced was 4.2 inches in diameter.

                                                         www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - sunspots seen in 1896

 In 1896 the Rev J H Jenkinson of St Mary’s Vicarage,  Reading, Berkshire described a series of sunspot drawings he had made between February and August of that year. He used a 4.5 inch Thomas Cooke of York telescope.

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through Lyra the Lyre

A constellation dating back to ancient times Lyra represents a stringed instrument invented by Hermes and given by his half-brother Apollo to Orpheus. Although a small constellation it is a very prominent one. Its brightest star Vega is the 5th brightest star in the sky, and it is one of the summer triangle stars, the others being Altair in Aquila and Deneb in Cygnus. 

The Greek poet and philosopher Aratos called it the Little Tortoise thus going back to the legendary origin of the instrument from the empty covering of the creature cast upon the dried tendon stretched across it.

The constellation had been associated with a bird; this might go back to ancient India where it was seen as an Eagle or Vulture. While in Akkadia it was the great storm bird Urakhga, although this has also been associated with Corvus.

To the early Britons it was Talyn Arthur, that hero’s harp, while to the Anglo Saxons it was Hearpe which Fortunatus of the 6^th century, the poet bishop of Poitiers called the Barbarians Harp.

To the Arab astronomers it was Al Nasr al Waki, the swooping Stone Eagle of the Desert. Al Sufi was the only Arab astronomer to associate it with Al  Iwasz or a Goose.

Alpha or Vega which means the ‘Falling Eagle’ or the Harp Star. In Babylonian astronomy it was regarded as Dilgan the Messenger of Light.

At one time Vega was the pole star and the Akkadians called it Tir-anna or The Life of Heaven, while the Assyrians called it Dayan- Same, The Judge of Heaven, as having the highest seat in heaven. In Egypt when Vega occupied the Pole Star position it was Ma’at the Vulture Star.

 In around the year 14,000 AD Vega will become the North Star due to the precession of the Earth.

Vega is a magnitude 0.0 (zero) star. It is relatively close at only 25 light-years from the Sun; it is an A class star with a surface temperature of 9,200’C.

Beta or Sheliak which means ‘Lyra’ is an ellipsoidal variable discovered in York in September 1784 by the deaf astronomer  John Goodricke, the stars are so close together that they are egg shaped due to the gravity of the two stars pulling at each other. To the naked eye Sheliak appears as one star. The two stars orbit each other every 12.9 days and the magnitude changes from 3.4-4.3. Sheliak is 960 light years away and is a B class giant star.

Gamma or Sulufat which means ‘Turtle’ is the second-brightest star with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.3 it lies 620 light years away and is another B class giant star.

Epsilon is the famous the double double star, epsilon 1 shines with a magnitude of 4.7 while epsilon 2 in 4.7. They are around 162 light years away. Both stars can be seen with the naked eye under good conditions while of course binoculars will easily show both stars. A small telescope or binoculars will reveal that each star itself is a double star. Epsilon 1 and 2 are both A class stars hotter than the Sun.

M57 or The Ring Nebula is probably the most famous planetary nebula lying between beta and gamma. M 57 is magnitude 8.8 and needs either very good binoculars or a telescope to see it and it lies around 2,300 light years away. Messier discovered it in 1779.

There is a meteor shower the Lyrids which appear around April 21-22 with around 15 per hour. It is associated with  Comet Thatcher which was discovered in 1861.

The Lyrid meteor shower has the distinction of being among the oldest of known meteor showers. Records of this shower go back for some 2,700 years. The ancient Chinese are said to have observed the Lyrid meteors falling like rain in the year 687 B.C.

                                                      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 - partial eclipse of Moon 1899

 W M Baxter used a 5 inch Cooke equatorial in Edinburgh to observe a series of occultations of stars  during the partial eclipse of the Moon on the night of 16th-17th December 1899. He observed 10 stars before fog and cloud prevented further observations.

                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through the night sky -Venus the goddess of Love kisses the Moon on June 17th

On Wednesday June 17th at around 10.30 in the evening it will be possible to see Venus very close to the crescent Moon. As long as it is not cloudy. 

Venus will be the very bright white dot just above the Moon. The pair will seem to be so close that it will look like they are kissing.

The crescent Moon will be low down in the north west the area of sky where the Sun has set. You can see this with the naked eye. You will not need binoculars or a telescope to see this event.

                                                  www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Sir George Airy Freedom of the City of London 1875

 Nature November 11th 1875

The conferring of the Freedom of the City of London on Sir George B Airy, the Astronomer Royal, and late President of the Royal Society, which took place on Thursday last is, we believe, the first instance in which that honour has been bestowed for scientific services unconnected with military or engineering science.

In the civic speeches which accompanied the ceremony, great stress was laid on Sir G B Airy’s service in connection with the Metric Standard.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - Jupiter observed from Australia in 1896

BAA Journal May 1896

 

PRESENT  ASPECT OF JUPITER 

 I am glad to be able to report that observing conditions generally have been very good with us since the beginning of last month, and that at least one other member besides myself has taken advantage of the good seeing to make drawings of Jupiter. I am unfortunately divorced from my observatory for some months, but have with me in the country an excellent 5-in. Cooke altazimuth as well as accurate time. 

I have never hitherto prosecuted a careful and continuous study of the giant planet's surface, and confess to great surprise at the vast and rapid changes that become apparent. This especially struck me first in the case of the N. equatorial belt, the northern and equatorial components of which exhibited alternately dark masses and condensations, divided by white spots after intervals of only five Jovian rotations. On March 13 and 14 there were typical instances of this. 

On March 26, 20h 40m, G.M.T., a faint wisp across the equator, was conspicuous, and next night, March 28, 2h 20m G.M.T., was invisible, while the equatorial region near the c.m. showed considerable change. Definition excellent, 4 to 5 on both occasions, power 200. The N. temperate area, however, has puzzled me most, for the three belts often seen have varied much both in visibility and latitude, while with exquisite definition on April 1, at 0h 20m G.M.T., the following portion seemed overlaid with vapour of a sage green tint, and the belts (2) were only faintly visible in their preceding parts, 

The Red Spot has been well seen on several occasions of almond shape, the f. end slightly more pointed than the p. Its tint seemed uniform, and a very delicate brick red, like a faint stain. It is overlaid on the S. side by the S. temperate belt, which is closely double through nearly its whole extent, and f. from the centre of the Red Spot is much darkened and sinuous. The great spot's preceding end was estimated on c.m. at 1h 15m G.M.T., April 1, and the following end on c.m. at 21h 52m 36s G.M.T. of same date. In the transit of Satellite I. on February 22, observed at Waverley, near Sydney, with my equatorial, the shadow must have been occulted by the satellite, which is perhaps worthy of note.

 

 WALTE R F. GALE .

                                                   www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - new telescope at Toulouse Observatory in 1875

 Nature November 4^th 1875

The Observatory at Toulouse has purchased a telescope of 85 cm diameter, and 5 metres focal distance, at a cost of 1,200 francs. M. Tissereand is head of the Toulouse Observatory.

                                                        www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - occultation of Antares observed from Australia in 1896

 BAA Vol 5 No 5 June 1895 

The papers upon the occultation of Antares, 1896, May 10, were next read by the Secretary. 

Mr. Tebbutt obtained excellent determinations of the times of disappearance and reappearance, which agreed very closely with the calculations of Mr. Joseph Brooks, and indicated the probable correctness of the adopted longitude of the Windsor Observatory and of the tabular places of the moon and star. Antares did not disappear instantaneously in Mr. Tebutt's observation, but seemed to cut its way into the moon's disk during two or three seconds, a peculiarity also noted by Mr. Merfield. 

Mr. Gale, on the contrary, using a 6 inch Cooke refractor, at Paddington New South Wales recorded the disappearance as instantaneous on contact with the limb. In spite of thick haze, the " comes " was also visible to within a few seconds of the limb, and was seen immediately on the reappearance of the larger star. Messrs. Innes, Wright, and Matthews had also observed the disappearance as almost instantaneous.

                                                     www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - rho Eridanus in the 1850s

Nature October 28^th 1875

Rho Eridanus

In the year 1850 the Late Captain Jacob calculated two orbits for this binary system, the second of which represents very fairly his subsequent measures to the end of 1857, a rather severe test for elements founded upon the data available in 1850.

We look in vain for measures later than Capt. Jacob’s though it may be hoped this and other interesting objects of the southern heavens have not been entirely neglected of late years. The public observatories are perhaps too closely occupied with other work to allow much being expected from them in a class of observation peculiarly  suited to the amateur astronomer, but there must be a grand field of operations for private observers, in southern double and variable star astronomy.

                                                      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 - partial eclipse of the Moon in 1892

 The Partial Lunar Eclipse of May 11-12, 1892. By G. J. NEWBEGIN, F.R.A.S. 

The night of May 11-12 turned out so exceptionally clear and fine that (though in 16 ° of Declination) the moon soon became a steady object in the telescope. With regard to the eclipse I decided to take a series of photographs at about half-hour intervals, and to endeavour to secure a permanent record of its several stages. The exposures were made at 9.20, 9.50, 10.30, 11, 11.30 p.m., 12 o'clock midnight, and 12.30 a.m. The periods of exposure were varied, to allow for the decreasing illumination of the moon, viz. :— 20s 20s 30s 40s 30s 20s 20s respectively. 

The plates were the Ilford ordinary, developed by hydroquinone. The instrument by which they were taken is a 9-inch Cooke equatorial, aperture reduced to 2-inch for the whole series. The intervals between the exposures were occupied in developing the plates. 

Thorpe, Norwich, Nov. 11, 1892.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through Lynx

 A decidedly obscure constellation despite its size, it is the 28th largest of the 88 constellations. It was introduced by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1687 to fill the gap between Ursa Major and Auriga. He named it Lynx because only the lynx eyed would be able to examine it.

Many of the stars that are in Lynx would have during the times of the Greek astronomer Arato (315-240 BCE) have been placed in Ursa Major the Great Bear.

Alpha magnitude 3.1 is an orange K class giant star lying at a distance of 203 light years, alpha has a magnitude of 3.1.

NGC 2419

Possibly the most distant globular cluster in our galaxy lying at a distance of 300,000 light years, it can be seen as a magnitude 9.1. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1788 and is often called the intergalactic wanderer because at first astronomers thought it was not part of our Milky Way galaxy, we know now that it is.

NGC 2419 would be the "best and brightest" for any observers in the Andromeda Galaxy, looking for globular clusters in our galaxy since it lies outside the obscuring density of the main disk.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble in the night sky- Jupiter and Venus coming together June 9th and 10th

 On June 9th and June 10th there will be a spectacular meeting of planets as Jupiter and Venus will be very close together in the sky. You do not need binoculars or a telescope to see this fantastic sight, you can watch this with the naked eye.

If you look to the west, this is the area of sky where the Sun sets at around 9.30pm and then if you wait until just after 10.00pm you will see a very bright white dot low in the west this is Venus and just below it will be a slightly less bright white dot which is Jupiter.

The following night June 10th at about the same time in the evening  you will  notice that although both planets are still close together they will have slightly changed position relevant to each other. As the month of June goes on Jupiter will get lower in the sky.

If you are very lucky you might just catch a glimpse of Mercury which will be lower in the sky and fainter than Jupiter and Venus.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - New Observatory in Catania in 1890

 This observatory which was completed in 1890 is principally for astrophysics, celestial photography, meteorology and seismology. There is a 6-inch Cooke fitted with photographic apparatus; Huggins's apparatus for photographing the solar corona; Mascart's apparatus for photographing atmospherical electricity, &c.

                                                         www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - The Nebulae in the Pleiades

 Nature October 7^th 1875

In No.5 of “Publicazioni del Reale Osservatorio di Brera in Milano”, Herr Tempel has laid down the stars from the Pleiades, from the Durchmusterung , and traced the outline of the nebula near Merope as it appeared to him with a magnifying power of twenty four on a telescope of four inches aperture. The outline is shown to be elliptical, one extremity of the longer axis, the northern one, at Merope, and the inclination of this axis to the circle of declination about 18 degrees, so that as referred to Merope, the angle of position of the longer axis is 198 degrees.

M Wolf, of the Observatory of Paris, observing with the telescope of 0.31m aperture  in March 1874, perceived two nuclei, one almost concentric with Merope, the other and brighter of the two at a distance of about seven seconds, on the same parallel, following.  From the month of November 1874 to the end of February 1875 the nebula could not be seen notwithstanding the very favourable atmospheric conditions, and at the same time M Stephan was unable to detect it with the telescope of 0.80m. M Wolf concludes that the nebula is certainly variable and that its period is pretty short.

Herr Tempel remarks that generally the nebula has been much more readily seen with small telescopes than with large ones, and doubt has been expressed as to any real variability of light; yet it is not easy to understand, except upon this supposition, why the nebula should be visible at certain times in a particular telescope and invisible at others, the circumstances of the sky appearing to be about the same in all cases.

The Nebula was first remarked by Herr Tempel at Venice on the 23rd of October 1859

                                              www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Paris Observatory opening times 1875

Nature September 2^nd 1875

M. Leverrier has published in the Paris papers a notice intimating that the Observatory will be opened for observations three times a week, from half past seven, weather permitting. Two large telescopes are placed at the disposal of visitors, who may procure a letter of admission by writing to the secretary of the observatory.

                                                       www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

Cooke Telescope Tales - Till robbery by Cooke worker in 1867

 York Herald, Saturday 16^th March 1867

 

Henry Petch of Market Street, York a mechanic of Messrs Cooke and Sons, was charged with stealing 2 shillings from a till in the George Inn Tap, Coney Street, York. On the previous evening the defendant entered the tap and asked for liquor. He was served, after which James Allen, the occupant of the place, went up stairs. When he came down, from certain suspicions he examined the till and found that a 2 shilling piece had been stolen. 

He went out to fetch a policeman upon which the prisoner,- who was the only person who had been in the place, ran away. He was found concealed in a corner in a yard behind the tap, and thence was taken away into custody. The prosecutor stated that he had been similarly robbed before, and his suspicions had fallen upon the prisoner as the thief. In defence the prisoner said he was innocent, and had only gone into the yard behind the tap for his convenience. 

The bench were of the opinion, however that he was guilty of theft, and sentenced him to be imprisoned in the House of Correction for 14 days. 

                                                       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 - A new Clinometer in 1865

 York Herald Saturday 25^th November 1865

 

We (Bombay Builder) have had the pleasure of seeing a most compact and useful clinometer and manufactured by Messrs T Cooke & Sons London and York. 

We understand the government intends to issue them to the public works department; and we have every reason to believe that the instrument will be generally made use of by the railway and other professional men for trial work. 

A gentleman who has used the instrument says, “It is impossible to over rate the advantage of this instrument, A trial path, which would have required weeks to set out by chain and level as it would have been necessary to cut down the jungle and make platforms for the instrument to stand on, was marked out in a few days and with quite as much accuracy. 

The only mistakes that can arise are from the accidental slipping of one of the cross pieces, or from moving one of the radial arms of the instrument. It is only requisite to take a glance at the face of the instrument while the hand rests upon the cross piece, to ensure its accuracy. The ease and quickness with which the instrument was used made the marking out of the trail path a pleasure to the observer, who would feel like Pegasus deprived of his wings if he had to do another under similar circumstances with level and chain instead of clinometer. 

Note

A Clinometer is an instrument used to measure angles in particular the angle of a slope or incline

                                                   www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - Unclaimed property on Railway in 1867

 Sheffield Daily Telegraph Saturday 16^th March 1867

 

Among the curious things connected with the business of railways are the variety and strange character of the unclaimed property which falls in to the hands of the railways as carriers of passengers and goods.

 

One person has left a very superior astronomical telescope in mahogany case complete, and it is now unclaimed. Where is its owner and what has he been doing to render himself unconscious of the loss he has sustained? Or has he abandoned the study of astronomy for the more prosaic and common occupations of the earth?    

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A Little ramble through Lupus the Wolf

Lupus is often overlooked by observers because it is so close to the constellation of Scorpius and Centaurus. Although the term Lupus refers to a wolf, the Greeks and Romans regarded this constellation as an unspecified wild animal held by Centaurus as an offering to the gods. It appears to be during the renaissance period that the connection with the Wolf seems to have become the common term to use.   Lupus lies in the Milky Way so it is very rich in stars.

To the Euphrateans it was Zibu the Beast while to the Akkadians it was Urbat the Beast of Death.

To the Arab astronomers it was sometimes referred to as Al Asadah or the Lioness.

Alpha is a magnitude 2.3, B class star with a temperature of around 21,000,C compared to that of 5,800,C of the Sun, it lies at a distance of 460 light years. The only names it has is Chinese and is Yang Mun the South Gate.

Beta is a class B star even hotter than alpha at 23,500,  it has a magnitude of 2.7 and is 383 light years away. It will quickly use up its supply of hydrogen and become a red giant before possibly becoming a supernova in the future.

Gamma is 420 light years away and shines with a magnitude of 2.8 it is a B class star.

Eta magnitude 3.4 is 440 light years away and is an A class star.

Epsilon also magnitude 3.4 and is a B class star lying 510 light years away. 

There are many clusters in Lupus but they require small telescopes to see them, I will mention just NGC 5986 a globular cluster lying at a distance of 34,000 light years and shining at a magnitude of 8.0 It was discovered by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop at the Paramatta observatory in Australia.

In the year 1006 a supernova appeared in Lupus, SN 1006, it  was probably the brightest observed stellar event in recorded history, reaching an estimated −7.5 visual magnitude and was roughly sixteen times the brightness of Venus. Appearing between April 30 and May 1. The Supernova was seen for about 3 months in the sky.

                                                      www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - astronomy lectures in Leeds in 1810

Leeds Mercury Saturday 22^nd September 1810 

Theatre Leeds 

Mr Llyod has the honour most respectfully to inform the Ladies and Gentlemen of Leeds  and its Vicinity, that he intends, early as the proper arrangements can be made to give his COURSE. of ASTRONOMICAL LECTURES, illustrated by the : 

DIOASTRODOXON, Or Grand Transparent Orrery, Accompanied by the CELESTINA. 

 With all the splendid Scenery, explanatory of the seasons, eclipses , tides and comets as exhibited in London, and the University of Oxford. -The Whole forming the most perspicuous and comprehensive view of the WORKS of the CREATOR in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Lloyd's extensive  improvements on the Transparent Orrery, having excited humble  Imitations, under the Description of Originals and Descriptions  and as no Person whoever read  upon a Transparent Orrery was ever the Inventor of one, he feels it his Duty to caution the Public, against being imposed upon by so notorious quackery. 

 Subscription to the Course, Three Lectures, Nine Shillings, Epitome included – tickets transferable 

Subscriptions are received at the Leeds Mercury Office, where may be had an Epitome of the Course . Non- Subscribers Price One Shilling.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through the night sky - the Micro Blue Moon on May 31st.

It’s May Moon Madness this month, as there are two full moons,  meaning the second one is a Blue Moon, and in addition, both are Micro Moons. The last time this happened was in October 2020 and the next will be in July 2053.

There will be two full moons this month, one on the first and the other on the thirty-first. This second one is referred to nowadays as a ‘Blue Moon’. The Moon takes around twenty-nine and a half days to orbit the Earth once and apart from February all months have either thirty or thirty-one days, meaning it is possible to have two full moons in a calendar month.

This use of the term ‘blue moon’ only has a history dating back to the 1940s when a letter, sent to the American astronomy magazine ‘Sky and Telescope’ (which incidentally is still published) asked the question ‘what is a blue moon?’. The answer was that it is the second full moon in a calendar month. The publishers of the magazine, realising that they had given the wrong answer, retracted their original statement. However, it was too late; the genie was out of the bottle, and for the last eighty years everyone has accepted this definition.

I have my own theory about the term ‘blue moon’. Each month I give the name of the next full moon, and as I often say, these names go back to the times of the monastic period in Britain around 1,000 years ago. The monks, who were amongst the cleverest people around during the Middle Ages due to their vast monastic libraries, knew full well that in some years there were thirteen full moons, rather the normal twelve.

Monks liked order in their lives. They kept diaries and special dates were always marked in red ink. The phrase ‘a red letter day’ is a monastic saying going back over 1,000 years. I just wonder if, when this 13th full moon occurred, it was marked in diaries in blue ink as a source of irritation because it messed up a very orderly system. I once checked the reference library in York minster without success, but maybe someone in the future will check the Vatican library and discover a monk’s diary with a full moon marked in blue ink!

You have probably heard of the Super Moon, but did you know we also have the Micro Moon?

The Moon takes around one month to orbit the Earth. Its normal distance from us is 239,000 miles.  A micro moon occurs when the Moon is more than 250,000 miles away. A supermoon is when the Moon is less than 230,000 miles away.  This is why a supermoon appears larger than normal, while a micromoon appears smaller. The discrepancy happens because the Moon does not orbit the Earth in a circle but in an ellipse or egg shape.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - a notable shoemaker died in 1896

 Sheffield Daily Telegraph Tuesday 4^th February 1896

 

On Sunday morning- there was carried to the grave at Darlington Cemetery Mr. W. H. Harris, who was a working shoemaker, living in a poor neighbourhood, at Hank Top, Darlington. Mr. Harris, who was 54 years old the time his death, was born at Barnard Castle.

 

Though working hard at his trade, he had attained local celebrity as an astronomer, and maker of telescopes with 9 inch and 12inch mirrors, which he, ground, figured, and silvered. This work required nice mathematical calculations, which he carefully worked out. He had intimate knowledge of optics, botany, astronomy, electricity, etc., and was a good French scholar. Mr. Harris was self-taught.

                                                    www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - comet observed in 1819

 Leeds Intelligencer Monday 12^th July 1819

The following communication from Mr. Christie of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, contains probably all that can be yet known of this celestial phenomenon:— “I first observed the comet," observes Mr. Christie, “last night (Saturday) a minutes before 11 o'clock, and judge that it came to the meridian about 12. Its elevation above the horizon appeared about 10°, and the sun being at the time nearly below, its distance from the sun cannot much exceed 25°.

 

The night was remarkably light, and the moon uncovered by clouds—circumstances extremely unfavourable to the brilliancy of its appearance; and considering this, I should judge that, under more favourable circumstances, its splendour would be equal to that of any comet upon record—the head viewed with Capella (to the east of it) in brilliancy. The length of the tail, which, when the comet was on the meridian, pointed somewhat to the west of the zenith, extended about 15degrees;  and unlike the comet of 1811, it appeared to proceed immediately from the nucleus.

 

 I viewed it for some time through an excellent small reflector, by Watson, and observed, that the nucleus was much denser than that of the former comet, and that there was no separation between it and the coma, but that the body became gradually rarer, and in the upper part expanded into the tail; which appearance may arise from a very dense atmosphere surrounding the nucleus, and reaching to the rarer fluid forming the tail, if there be any distinction between the two fluids, as appears to have been the case with the comet 1811. 

I may observe, that this as in all other comets, the appearance to the naked eye is much more striking and brilliant than through telescope. The Comet passed the meridian below the Pole, at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, on Saturday, July 3, about midnight, when its place was determined as follows 

 Apparent right ascension  6h. 51m. 56S

North polar distance, corrected for re fraction 43 d 18 m  47.s

 Mean time of observation .12h 6m 56s

 

 The Comet was again observed on Monday night (July 5), but not till it had passed the meridian, when the following observations was made :

Apparent right ascension . 7h. 0m 9s

 North Polar Distance 43 d 34m 48s

Mean time of observation  12h 36m 04s

 

This was comet 1819 also known as Trailes comet that was discovered on July 1^st 1819 by the German astronomer Johann Georg Trailes. The comet was an easy naked eye object reaching between magnitude 1 to 2.

                                                     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 - solar eclipse in Ceylon 1871

 Englishman's Overland Mail Wednesday 27^th December 1871 

 

The Eclipse as Observed in Ceylon 

The solar eclipse on December 12^th 1871 was most favourably observed at all the stations occupied by the scientific party under Mr Lockyer’s direction as well as by Mr Janssen. Important scientific results may be expected  to be shortly made known as indicated in the the message from Mr Lockyer. 

Here in Colombo the weather during the eventful morning was all that could be desired, but being beyond the line of totality and shadow no special scientific value can be attached to the highly interesting observations made here by several gentlemen. 

Our column this time will be unusually full of information respecting the eclipse and the special expeditions sent from home to observe it. About 3.5 inches of rain fell in Colombo between 8 00 pm on the 11^th and 5.00 am on the 12^th. We add the results of local observations:- the Sun rose obscured by clouds, which cleared off by about 6.30 .The whole surface of the Sun presented the usual strippled broken appearance, with here and there large spots. In the neighbourhood of these spots the strippling was more apparent than over the parts free of spots, but they came out in bold relief on the part of the Sun  close to the Moon’s limb. Probably this increase of distinctness was caused by contrast of the black spot &c of the dark limb of the moon. This could not be seen through the 3-inch telescope. Some little time before the greatest obscuration a halo was visible around the sun, which gave place to short bright rays. This latter appearance was probably an ocular deception, as no trace of it was visible through the 4.5-inch telescope under a low power. 

At the greatest obscuration no trace of corona was observable through the same instrument, with a solar eyepiece with a power of about 30. This was carefully looked for. The unobscured portion of the sun, about 15-16ths of its disc, was well defined, without appendages of any kind. Towards the time of centrality the diminution of daylight was very conspicuous—going from the open air into the house it was very striking. Standing in the centre of the room, and looking through the open window, the sun-shine outside was of a neutral tint. The crows commenced to assemble on the tree-tops, cawing after their usual fashion, when preparing for their night's rest. The planet Venus, high in the sky, was distinctly visible to the naked eye, and Jupiter, low down in the western horizon, was plainly discernible with the aid of an opera-glass. The thermometer at the commencement of the eclipse indicated 91.5 °F  in the sun.  At 7-15 it showed a rise of 2.5 degrees and at the greatest phase it had  fallen to 84.5°.  In the shade it stood at 76 degrees; at 6-45 and at the greatest obscuration at 75°  At 9-10, with the full blaze of the then unobscured sun, the thermometer indicated 113 °; in the shade 81°. 

 Mr. Van Dort, of the Surveyor- General's Department, with the aid of a 3-inch telescope, power 50, made some careful drawings of the different phases of the eclipse. The attempt to take the time of first contact and the ending of the eclipse proved abortive. An ordinary watch was the only time- keeper at hand. 

Instruments used in the above observations : Equatorial Telescope by Cooke and Sons, of York, 4.5  inches clear aperture, 66 inches focal length. Telescope by same makers, 3 inches clear aperture, 42 inches focal length, mounted on tripod stand." 

The above indicates the result of observations taken by Mr. Stainfurth Green at his residence in Colpetty. Mr. Stoddart, of the Surveyor- General's Office, took observations at the local observatory, showing the actual time to be 

First contact 06 h 47m 30 s am 

Greatest darkness 07h.50 m15s

Last contact 09h.00 m 20s 

Mr. W. L.H Skeen took some very successful photographic views, which show not only the progress of the eclipse, but the direction and form of the huge rays, projected from the sun or its corona, so much talked of.—Ceylon Observer.

                                                   www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk