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
In pointing this telescope to the object intended to be viewed, the
eye is applied at K, fig, 69, and looking along the arm, towards the
eye-piece, till it nearly coincide with the object, it will, in most
cases, be readily found. In this way I can easily point this instrument
to Jupiter or Saturn, or to any of the other planets, visible to the
naked eye, even when a power of 160 or 170 times is applied. When high
magnifying powers, however, are used, it may be expedient to fix,
on the upper part of the short tube in which the speculum rests, a
Finder, such as that which is used in Newtonian telescopes. When the
moon is the object intended to be viewed, she may be instantly found by
moving the instrument till her reflected image be seen from the eye-end
of the telescope on the face of the mirror.
I have fitted up several instruments of the above description with
specula of 16, 27, 35, and 49 inches focal distance. One of these
having a speculum of 27 inches focal length, and an astronomical
eye-piece, producing a magnifying power of about 90 times, serves
as a good astronomical telescope. By this instrument the belts
and satellites of Jupiter, the ring of Saturn, and the mountains
and cavities of the moon, may be contemplated with great ease and
distinctness. With a magnifying power of 35 or 40 times, terrestrial
objects appear remarkably bright and well-defined. When compared with
a Gregorian, the quantity of light upon the object appears nearly
doubled, and the image is equally distinct--although the speculum has
several blemishes, and its surface is but imperfectly polished. It
represents objects in their natural colours, without that dingy and
yellowish tinge which appears when looking through a Gregorian. Another
of these instruments is about four feet long. The speculum which
belongs to it is a very old one: when it came into my possession, it
was so completely tarnished, as scarcely to reflect a ray of light.
After it was cleaned, it appeared to be scarcely half polished, and
its surface is covered with yellowish stains which cannot be erased.
Were it fitted up upon the Gregorian plan, it would, I presume, be
of very little use, unless when a very small magnifying power was
applied. Yet, in its present form, it bears, with distinctness, a
magnifying power of 130 times, and is equal in its performance to a
3-1/2 feet achromatic. It exhibits distinct and interesting views of
the diversities of shade, and of the mountains, vales, cavities, and
other inequalities of the moon’s surface. With a power of about 50
times, and a terrestrial eye-piece, it forms an excellent telescope
for land objects, and exhibits them in a brilliant and novel aspect.
The smallest instrument I have attempted to construct on this plan,
is only 5-1/2 inches focal distance, and 1-3/4 inch diameter. With a
magnifying power of about 15 times, it shows terrestrial objects with
distinctness and brilliancy. But I should deem it inexpedient to fit
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