Markree Observatory
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Markree Observatory was an astronomical observatory in County Sligo, Ireland.<ref name="doberck_1884_pt1">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="doberck_1884_pt2">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="hoskin1982">Template:Cite journal</ref> The asteroid 9 Metis was discovered from this observatory in 1848 by Cooper's assistant Andrew Graham using a comet seeker telescope.<ref name="graham1848">Template:Cite journal (Signed 29 April 1848; the discovery was first announced on 27 April)</ref><ref name="doberck_1884_pt2"/> The observatory was also home to the largest refractor of the early 1830s, which had a Template:Convert aperture Cauchoix of Paris lens; the largest in the world at that time. The observatory also housed a number of instruments and was operated to varying degrees throughout the 19th century.
The observatory is noted for its discovery of the asteroid 9 Metis in 1848 as well as a 60,000 item star catalogue of the 1850s.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> In the later 1800s it was operated again after a brief hiatus, and gained note for its meteorological observations and research on double stars.<ref name=":0" />
HistoryEdit
In 1830, Colonel Edward Joshua Cooper MP (1798–1863) eldest son of Edward Synge Cooper MP, and Ann, daughter of Henry Vansittart, Governor of Bengal, set up Markree Observatory on the grounds of Markree Castle near Collooney in County Sligo.
In 1831 Cooper acquired from Robert A. Cauchoix of Paris an objective of 13.3-inches (~33.78 cm) for which he paid £1200. In 1834 he mounted the lens on an equatorial mounting supplied by Thomas Grubb of Dublin.<ref name="launay2018">Template:Cite journal</ref> For a number of years Cooper's big refractor was the largest in the world. He used the telescope to sketch Halley's comet in 1835 and to view the solar eclipse of 15 May 1836.<ref>History of the Cauchoix objective</ref>
Later a 5-foot (1.5m) transit and a 3-foot (0.9m) meridian circle, fitted with an interchangeable 7-inch (17.75 cm) glass were added, which was the largest at that time in 1839; also in 1842 a 3-inch comet seeker was added.<ref name="doberck_1884_pt1"/><ref name="doberck_1884_pt2"/><ref name="hoskin1982"/>
The observatory had a Stevenson screen, invented in 1863.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
"The Observatory of Mr Cooper of Markree CastleTemplate:Sndundoubtedly the most richly furnished private observatory knownTemplate:Sndis worked with great activity by Mr Cooper himself and by his very able assistant, Mr Andrew Graham." (Royal Astronomical Society, 1851)<ref name="report_mnras_1851">Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 1848, Cooper's assistant, Andrew Graham, discovered the asteroid 9 Metis with a wide-field comet seeker telescope manufactured by Ertel. Graham resigned his post at Markree in 1860, but continued his research at Cambridge Observatory until his retirement in 1905. E.J. Cooper died in 1863, but the observatory remained active until the death of Edward Henry Cooper MP in 1902.
The 13+ inch CauchoixEdit
The Cauchoix telescope was installed inside a circular wall, but it had no dome or roof over it.<ref name=":1" /> The enclosure has a diameter of 16-feet across.<ref name=":1" />
The telescope mounting was made by Grubb of Dublin.<ref name=":0" /> (Grubb would make telescopes for a century and half, later known as Grubb-Parsons)
The telescope objective was doublet with 13.3 inches of aperture and 25 feet focal length.<ref name="biogencastron">Template:Cite book Template:Subscription required</ref> The Grubb mounting had a clockwork drive and weighed almost 2.4 metric tons (2.6 US tons), which rested on a limestone pillar.<ref name="biogencastron" />
The lens was ground by Cauchoix of Paris using glass blanks by Guinand.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref> The 13.3 inch lens was completed in 1831.<ref name=":3" />
Template:Anchor Pierre-Louis Guinand (de fr) (20 April 1748, La Sagne — 13 February 1824, Les Brenets<ref> wikidata:Q2797540Template:User-generated source</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal </ref><ref name="Mechanics-Magazine-v3">Template:Cite journal </ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Optical-Engr-34-7-1863">Template:Cite journal </ref><ref name="Bibliotheque-Universelle-1824"> Template:Cite journal</ref>) was a Swiss<ref name="history.aip-refractors">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref><ref>Template:VIAF </ref><ref name="fpsi.ch-brenets"> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref><ref name="cameo.mfa-Optical_glass"> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref><ref name="craig-telescope"> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> who in the late 1700s came up with a breakthrough for making better quality and larger glass, and in time went on to teach a young Fraunhofer at Joseph von Utzschneider's (1763-1840<ref name="sciencemuseumgroup/cp26931">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) glassworks, and eventually started his own optical glass works.<ref name=":4"> Template:Cite book </ref> Guinand would supply glass for the Paris Observatory telescopes and also Cauchoix.<ref name=":4" />
InstrumentsEdit
Examples:<ref>Bardou, Brunner, Cassegrain, Cauchoix, Chevalier, Gambey, Gautier, Krauss, Lerebours et Secretan, Mailhat, Vion</ref><ref name="biogencastron"/>
- 1831 Troughton transit with a 5-inch Tulley objective
- 1839 Ertel 3-foot meridian circle with 7 inches aperture
- 1842 Ertel 3 inch aperture comet seeker
- 3 foot Dollond refractor. (length not aperture in this case)
- 13-inch Cauchoix objective on Grubb mount.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />
See alsoEdit
- Markree Castle
- Craig telescope (refractor of the 1850s)
- Leviathan of Parsonstown (Big Irish metal-mirror (1.8 m) reflector after 1845)
- 40-foot telescope (Herschel's)
- List of astronomical observatories
- List of largest optical telescopes in the 19th century
ReferencesEdit
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