On the evening of the 4th of May, the committee met, by appointment,
in an open lot south of the Pennsylvania Hospital, for the purpose of
testing the performance of the telescopes, which had previously been
tried by some of the members of the committee, and by other gentlemen,
on the evening of the 2d. The result of the examination was highly
creditable to Mr. Holcomb, and cannot fail to gratify all who have at
heart the advancement of astronomical science in this country.
The instruments, with powers varying from 50 to 600 in the smaller,
and to 900 in the larger, gave satisfactory views of the moon with a
sufficiency of light.
Mr. Holcomb’s ability to manufacture telescopes which should bear a
comparison, on favourable terms, with the best four and five feet
achromatics now in the country, having been established by the report
of the committee in May, 1834, their attention was chiefly directed to
ascertaining the degree of perfection to which he has attained in his
art, by his persevering efforts during the past year. Accordingly, the
remarks which follow are made with reference to the larger telescope, of
about ten feet focal length, eight inches aperture, and with a positive
eye-piece, giving a power of about 900, and the surface of the field of
view nearly twice as great as that of a Gregorian, and one-third greater
than that of an achromatic telescope, under similar circumstances.
The view of the moon with its rugged surface, its ridges of mountains,
and the endless variety of indentations on its surface, was interesting
beyond description, and exceeded any thing of the kind the committee have
ever witnessed.
Saturn’s ring, though not in a favourable position, was seen manifestly
double, for the first time in this country, as far as the information of
the committee extends.
The companion of Polaris appeared as a star of the fourth or fifth
magnitude, to the unassisted eye.
The double stars, Castor, μ Draconis, 4 and 5 ε Lyræ, and 44 Bootes, were
distinctly separated, and the dark space between them made evident. The
last mentioned, consisting of two stars of the fifth magnitude, distant
3″ made a fine appearance; they were soft, and well defined, and there
were no scattering rays of light, as was the case with Castor, in both
instruments.
A class of closer doubles stars, of which 6 Coronæ, distant 1″.2., and
ζ Bootes, distant 1″.4., may serve as examples, was acknowledged by
the artist, last year, to be too difficult for his telescope. This has
furnished a stimulus for his exertions, and the complete division of the
latter, as witnessed by the committee on the present occasion, has been
the reward of his disinterested labours. The discs of the two stars in
ζ Bootes appeared to be tangent to each other. The committee have no
evidence that the same has been effected by any other telescope in the
country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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