Great Astronomers by Robert Stawell Ball (best ereader for students .txt) 📖
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began at the very commencement of the process, and were
experienced in one form or another at every subsequent stage. In
the first place, the mere casting of a great disc of this mixture
of tin and copper, weighing something like three or four tons,
involved very troublesome problems. No doubt a casting of this
size, if the material had been, for example, iron, would
have offered no difficulties beyond those with which every
practical founder is well acquainted, and which he has to
encounter daily in the course of his ordinary work. But speculum
metal is a material of a very intractable description. There is,
of course, no practical difficulty in melting the copper, nor
in adding the proper proportion of tin when the copper has been
melted. There may be no great difficulty in arranging an
organization by which several crucibles, filled with the molten
material, shall be poured simultaneously so as to obtain the
requisite mass of metal, but from this point the difficulties
begin. For speculum metal when cold is excessively brittle, and
were the casting permitted to cool like an ordinary copper or iron
casting, the mirror would inevitably fly into pieces. Lord Rosse,
therefore, found it necessary to anneal the casting with extreme
care by allowing it to cool very slowly. This was accomplished by
drawing the disc of metal as soon as it had entered into the solid
state, though still glowing red, into an annealing oven. There
the temperature was allowed to subside so gradually, that six
weeks elapsed before the mirror had reached the temperature of the
external air. The necessity for extreme precaution in the
operation of annealing will be manifest if we reflect on one of
the accidents which happened. On a certain occasion, after the
cooling of a great casting had been completed, it was found, on
withdrawing the speculum, that it was cracked into two pieces.
This mishap was eventually traced to the fact that one of the
walls of the oven had only a single brick in its thickness, and
that therefore the heat had escaped more easily through that side
than through the other sides which were built of double thickness.
The speculum had, consequently, not cooled uniformly, and hence
the fracture had resulted. Undeterred, however, by this failure,
as well as by not a few other difficulties, into a description of
which we cannot now enter, Lord Rosse steadily adhered to his
self-imposed task, and at last succeeded in casting two perfect
discs on which to commence the tedious processes of grinding and
polishing. The magnitude of the operations involved may perhaps
be appreciated if I mention that the value of the mere copper and
tin entering into the composition of each of the mirrors was about
500 pounds.
In no part of his undertaking was Lord Rosse’s mechanical
ingenuity more taxed than in the devising of the mechanism for
carrying out the delicate operations of grinding and polishing the
mirrors, whose casting we have just mentioned. In the ordinary
operations of the telescope-maker, such processes had hitherto
been generally effected by hand, but, of course, such methods
became impossible when dealing with mirrors which were as large as
a good-sized dinner table, and whose weight was measured by
tons. The rough grinding was effected by means of a tool of cast
iron about the same size as the mirror, which was moved by
suitable machinery both backwards and forwards, and round and
round, plenty of sand and water being supplied between the mirror
and the tool to produce the necessary attrition. As the process
proceeded and as the surface became smooth, emery was used instead
of sand; and when this stage was complete, the grinding tool was
removed and the polishing tool was substituted. The essential
part of this was a surface of pitch, which, having been
temporarily softened by heat, was then placed on the mirror, and
accepted from the mirror the proper form. Rouge was then
introduced as the polishing powder, and the operation was
continued about nine hours, by which time the great mirror
had acquired the appearance of highly polished silver. When
completed, the disc of speculum metal was about six feet across
and four inches thick. The depression in the centre was about
half an inch. Mounted on a little truck, the great speculum was
then conveyed to the instrument, to be placed in its receptacle at
the bottom of the tube, the length of which was sixty feet, this
being the focal distance of the mirror. Another small reflector
was inserted in the great tube sideways, so as to direct the gaze
of the observer down upon the great reflector. Thus was completed
the most colossal instrument for the exploration of the heavens
which the art of man has ever constructed.
[PLATE: ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AT PARSONSTOWN.]
It was once my privilege to be one of those to whom the
illustrious builder of the great telescope entrusted its use. For
two seasons in 1865 and 1866 I had the honour of being Lord
Rosse’s astronomer. During that time I passed many a fine night
in the observer’s gallery, examining different objects in the
heavens with the aid of this remarkable instrument. At the
time I was there, the objects principally studied were the
nebulae, those faint stains of light which lie on the background
of the sky. Lord Rosse’s telescope was specially suited for the
scrutiny of these objects, inasmuch as their delicacy required all
the light-grasping power which could be provided.
One of the greatest discoveries made by Lord Rosse, when his huge
instrument was first turned towards the heavens, consisted in the
detection of the spiral character of some of the nebulous forms.
When the extraordinary structure of these objects was first
announced, the discovery was received with some degree of
incredulity. Other astronomers looked at the same objects, and
when they failed to discern—and they frequently did fail to
discern—the spiral structure which Lord Rosse had indicated, they
drew the conclusion that this spiral structure did not exist.
They thought it must be due possibly to some instrumental defect
or to the imagination of the observer. It was, however, hardly
possible for any one who was both willing and competent to examine
into the evidence, to doubt the reality of Lord Rosse’s
discoveries. It happens, however, that they have been recently
placed beyond all doubt by testimony which it is impossible to
gainsay. A witness never influenced by imagination has now come
forward, and the infallible photographic plate has justified Lord
Rosse. Among the remarkable discoveries which Dr. Isaac Roberts
has recently made in the application of his photographic apparatus
to the heavens, there is none more striking than that which
declares, not only that the nebulae which Lord Rosse described as
spirals, actually do possess the character so indicated, but that
there are many others of the same description. He has even
brought to light the astonishingly interesting fact that there are
invisible objects of this class which have never been seen by
human eye, but whose spiral character is visible to the peculiar
delicacy of the photographic telescope.
In his earlier years, Lord Rosse himself used to be a diligent
observer of the heavenly bodies with the great telescope which was
completed in the year 1845. But I think that those who knew Lord
Rosse well, will agree that it was more the mechanical processes
incidental to the making of the telescope which engaged his
interest than the actual observations with the telescope when it
was completed. Indeed one who was well acquainted with him
believed Lord Rosse’s special interest in the great telescope
ceased when the last nail had been driven into it. But the
telescope was never allowed to lie idle, for Lord Rosse always had
associated with him some ardent young astronomer, whose delight it
was to employ to the uttermost the advantages of his position in
exploring the wonders of the sky. Among those who were in this
capacity in the early days of the great telescope, I may mention
my esteemed friend Dr. Johnston Stoney.
Such was the renown of Lord Rosse himself, brought about by his
consummate mechanical genius and his astronomical discoveries, and
such the interest which gathered around the marvellous workshops
at Birr castle, wherein his monumental exhibitions of optical
skill were constructed, that visitors thronged to see him from all
parts of the world. His home at Parsonstown became one of
the most remarkable scientific centres in Great Britain; thither
assembled from time to time all the leading men of science in the
country, as well as many illustrious foreigners. For many years
Lord Rosse filled with marked distinction the exalted position of
President of the Royal Society, and his advice and experience in
practical mechanical matters were always at the disposal of those
who sought his assistance. Personally and socially Lord
Rosse endeared himself to all with whom he came in contact. I
remember one of the attendants telling me that on one occasion he
had the misfortune to let fall and break one of the small mirrors
on which Lord Rosse had himself expended many hours of hard
personal labour. The only remark of his lordship was that
“accidents will happen.”
The latter years of his life Lord Rosse passed in comparative
seclusion; he occasionally went to London for a brief sojourn
during the season, and he occasionally went for a cruise in his
yacht; but the greater part of the year he spent at Birr Castle,
devoting himself largely to the study of political and social
questions, and rarely going outside the walls of his demesne,
except to church on Sunday mornings. He died on October 31, 1867.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, the present Earl of Rosse, who
has inherited his father’s scientific abilities, and done much
notable work with the great telescope.
AIRY.
In our sketch of the life of Flamsteed, we have referred to the
circumstances under which the famous Observatory that crowns
Greenwich Hill was founded. We have also had occasion to mention
that among the illustrious successors of Flamsteed both Halley and
Bradley are to be included. But a remarkable development of
Greenwich Observatory from the modest establishment of early days
took place under the direction of the distinguished astronomer
whose name is at the head of this chapter. By his labours this
temple of science was organised to such a degree of perfection
that it has served in many respects as a model for other
astronomical establishments in various parts of the world. An
excellent account of Airy’s career has been given by Professor H.
H. Turner, in the obituary notice published by the Royal
Astronomical Society. To this I am indebted for many of the
particulars here to be set down concerning the life of the
illustrious Astronomer Royal.
The family from which Airy took his origin came from Kentmere, in
Westmoreland. His father, William Airy, belonged to a
Lincolnshire branch of the same stock. His mother’s maiden name
was Ann Biddell, and her family resided at Playford, near Ipswich.
William Airy held some small government post which necessitated an
occasional change of residence to different parts of the country,
and thus it was that his son, George Biddell, came to be born at
Alnwick, on 27th July, 1801. The boy’s education, so far as
his school life was concerned was partly conducted at Hereford and
partly at Colchester. He does not, however, seem to have derived
much benefit from the hours which he passed in the schoolroom.
But it was delightful to him to spend his holidays on the farm at
Playford, where his uncle, Arthur Biddell, showed him much
kindness. The scenes of his early youth remained dear to Airy
throughout his life, and in subsequent years he himself owned a
house at Playford, to
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