The Practical Astronomer: Comprising illustrations of light and colours--practical descriptions of all kinds of telescopes--the use of the equatorial-transit--circular, and other astronomical instruments, a particular account of the Earl of Rosse's large telescopes, and other topics connected with astronomyDick, Thomas
Science
The Practical Astronomer: Comprising illustrations of light and colours--practical descriptions of all kinds of telescopes--the use of the equatorial-transit--circular, and other astronomical instruments, a particular account of the Earl of Rosse's large telescopes, and other topics connected with astronomy
Dick, Thomas
Astronomical instruments; Astronomy; Telescopes
_finder_ of this telescope has a focal distance of 30 French inches,
and 2-42 aperture.
2. _Sir James South’s Telescope._--About the year 1829, Sir J.
South, President of the London Astronomical Society, procured of M.
Cauchoix of Paris, an achromatic object glass of 11-2/10 inches, clear
aperture, and of 19 feet focal length. The flint glass employed in its
construction was the manufacture of the late Guinaud le Pere, and was
found to be absolutely perfect. The first observation was made with
this telescope, while on a temporary stand, on Feb. 13, 1830, when Sir
J. Herschel discovered with it a _sixth_ star in the trapezium in the
nebula of Orion, whose brightness was about one third of that of the
fifth star discovered by Struve, which is as distinctly seen as the
companion to Polaris is in a five feet achromatic. Sir James gives the
following notices of the performance of this instrument on the morning
of May 14, 1830. ‘At half past two, placed the 20 feet achromatic on
the Georgium Sidus, saw it with a power of 346, a beautiful planetary
disc; not the slightest suspicion of any ring, either perpendicular or
horizontal; but the planet three hours east of the meridian, and the
moon within three degrees of the planet.’ At a quarter before three,
viewed _Jupiter_ with 252 and 346, literally covered with belts, and
the diameters of his satellites might have been as easily measured
as himself. One came from behind the body, and the contrast of the
colour with that of the planet’s limb was striking. At three o’clock
viewed _Mars_. The contrast of light in the vicinity of the poles very
decided. Several spots on his body well and strongly marked--that about
the south pole seems to overtake the body of the planet, and gives an
appearance not unlike that afforded by the new moon, familiarly known
as ‘the old moon in the new moon’s arms.’ _Saturn_ has been repeatedly
seen with powers from 130 to 928 under circumstances the most
favourable; but not any thing anomalous about the planet or its ring
could even be suspected. This telescope is erected on an Equatorial
stand at Sir J. South’s observatory, Kensington.
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