Philosophy
My abiding memories of the late RAS Librarian Peter Hingley include the wonderfully entertaining conversations we had based on his encyclopaedic astronomical knowledge. In addition, there appeared to be no part of the country with which Peter was not acquainted and he generally had an anecdote to tell about each. For example, noting that I live near Chester, he told me about his visits to the City as well as the hours he spent in the library of Hawarden Castle, just across the Welsh border in Flintshire. Similarly when I mentioned that I had grown up in Kent, he told me about the Ferncliffe Observatory at Tunbridge Wells, which had been built by the pioneering spectroscopist, Frank McClean (1837-1904), in the 1870s. This came as something of a surprise as I had no idea that Tunbridge Wells was once home to an important astronomical research centre. Moreover, it transpired that McClean’s residence...was located on the Pembury Road, one of the main routes into the town, and therefore I must have unwittingly driven past it dozens of times over the years. Peter kindly gave me copies of some photographs of McClean’s observatory from the RAS archives along with permission to publish them.
Frank McClean and the Ferncliffe Observatory at Tunbridge Wells by Jeremy Shears
- Brockhurst Observatory And William Sadler Franks
Brockhurst Observatoryca. 1932 Abstract... William Sadler Franks (1851-1935) was astronomer-in-charge at F.J. Hanbury’s private observatory at Brockhurst, near East Grinstead, Sussex, from 1909 until his death in 1935. This paper reviews the observational...
- An Old Atom Smasher...the Atomic Physics Observatory In Washington Dc
"There's a derelict atom smasher nestled in the middle of suburban Washington DC. The old Atomic Physics Observatory sits in the middle of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, a scientific research campus in the city's...
- Things Disappear
Amazing how some are stored in the memory or photographs long after the actual item is gone and one often wonders what happened to that object. Near me is Park University and had high on top of a hill an observatory that had been designated as the oldest...
- Lick Observatory...100 Years Of Astronomy
Lick Observatory by Moonlight San Jose Public Library Lick Observatory, the first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory, has been at the forefront of astronomical research for more than 100 years. Enjoy an insider's tour of Mt. Hamilton's...
- Vatican Astronomy
The Vatican has other interests too--astronomy and a rare book collection. Castel Gandolfo Italy Zeiss Double Astrograph Schmidt Telescope And in conjunction with the Mount Graham International Observatory in southeastern Arizona forming the Vatican...
Philosophy
Ferncliffe Observatory
My abiding memories of the late RAS Librarian Peter Hingley include the wonderfully entertaining conversations we had based on his encyclopaedic astronomical knowledge. In addition, there appeared to be no part of the country with which Peter was not acquainted and he generally had an anecdote to tell about each. For example, noting that I live near Chester, he told me about his visits to the City as well as the hours he spent in the library of Hawarden Castle, just across the Welsh border in Flintshire. Similarly when I mentioned that I had grown up in Kent, he told me about the Ferncliffe Observatory at Tunbridge Wells, which had been built by the pioneering spectroscopist, Frank McClean (1837-1904), in the 1870s. This came as something of a surprise as I had no idea that Tunbridge Wells was once home to an important astronomical research centre. Moreover, it transpired that McClean’s residence...was located on the Pembury Road, one of the main routes into the town, and therefore I must have unwittingly driven past it dozens of times over the years. Peter kindly gave me copies of some photographs of McClean’s observatory from the RAS archives along with permission to publish them.
Frank McClean and the Ferncliffe Observatory at Tunbridge Wells by Jeremy Shears
- Brockhurst Observatory And William Sadler Franks
Brockhurst Observatoryca. 1932 Abstract... William Sadler Franks (1851-1935) was astronomer-in-charge at F.J. Hanbury’s private observatory at Brockhurst, near East Grinstead, Sussex, from 1909 until his death in 1935. This paper reviews the observational...
- An Old Atom Smasher...the Atomic Physics Observatory In Washington Dc
"There's a derelict atom smasher nestled in the middle of suburban Washington DC. The old Atomic Physics Observatory sits in the middle of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, a scientific research campus in the city's...
- Things Disappear
Amazing how some are stored in the memory or photographs long after the actual item is gone and one often wonders what happened to that object. Near me is Park University and had high on top of a hill an observatory that had been designated as the oldest...
- Lick Observatory...100 Years Of Astronomy
Lick Observatory by Moonlight San Jose Public Library Lick Observatory, the first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory, has been at the forefront of astronomical research for more than 100 years. Enjoy an insider's tour of Mt. Hamilton's...
- Vatican Astronomy
The Vatican has other interests too--astronomy and a rare book collection. Castel Gandolfo Italy Zeiss Double Astrograph Schmidt Telescope And in conjunction with the Mount Graham International Observatory in southeastern Arizona forming the Vatican...