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Adler Planetarium Webster Society February 2011
- 1. The Grand Amateurs : Lessons from the 19th century Chris Lintott Director of Citizen Science Initiatives Adler Planetarium
Editor's Notes
- ‘Astronomy is one of the few scientists where amateurs can make a contribution’\n
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- (Thomas) Bopp and comet.\nIt was stories like these that inspired me to take up observing...\n
- Pan-STARRS - putting the amateur out of business. Claim repeated every 10 years for the 20th and 21st centuries...Nostalgic for the ‘golden age of amateur science’\n\n
- Airy - Astronomer Royal 1835-1881 wrote in 1880 (in the midst of debate about funding) : ‘...successful researches have in nearly every instance originated with private persons, or with persons whose positions were so nearly private...that the investigators acted under private influence, without incurring the dangers attending connection with the state”\n
- Young William Herschel : Father in band of Hannovarian foot guards, learnt violin and oboe, moved to London at age of 18 as a music copyist. Later moved to Durham (1760), then in 1767 to Bath as an organist. \n
- Also becoming interested in astronomy : started observing systematically in 1774. Made his own telescopes...\n
- Like this 7 foot refractor. Discovered Uranus (1781) \n
- Attempt for patronage - Georgius Siderius ref Adler orrary. Kings Astronomer - amateur turned professional. \nHaydn story (1792) \n
- It’s worth remembering how different the Universe confronting 19th century astronomers was : Herschel’s attempts to map the galaxy. (Terrible, but right idea)\n
- Agnes Clerke : A popular history of astronomy in the 19th century (1885)\nInvited to spend three months at the Cape observatory 1888...\nOnly the third ‘honorary’ female member of RAS - Caroline Herchel and Mary Somerville\n
- Pickering’s harem at Harvard College Observatory - not amateur but underpaid. Similar efforts at ROG : £4/month, rising to 6 once able to operate instruments. \nInstitutions are a reminder that there were professionals; a (almost) unique 19th century invention\n
- Institutions : PhD driven in Europe, philanthropic in the US. \nAllan Chapman argues that Britain did not seek science for national prestige...\n
- Leviathan of Parsonstown : 72”. Largest telescope in the world 1845-1917 (beaten by Mount Wilson and following Herschel). William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse\n
- William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse\n
- William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse\n
- William Lassell - brewer and astronomer, who managed to discover Triton 17 days after Neptune was discovered, Ariel and Umbriel and in 1851 was the only Liverpudlian Queen Victoria wanted to meet. Won RAS Gold Medal + was president - route to status. Sir John Herschel emphasised distinction between amateur + ‘mere professionals’. \nSo was this a golden age? Still exclusive...\n
- Sechii 1818.1870 - studied in Italy, UK, USA (PhD Theology, Georgetown) Importance of religious support for astronomy. \nStellar classification.\nTraveled to 1860 (Spain), proving that chromosphere and coronoa are part of the Sun, and 1870 eclipses (Sicily) - flash spectrum.\n\n
- Guillaume Joseph Hyacinthe Jean-Baptiste Le Gentil de la Galaisiere\nCassini, in his eulogy, emphasises his background - his father, a ‘not that well-to-do gentleman’\nJune 6th 1761 - headed for Pondicherry, on the S of India. Left March 1760, arrived Isle de France in the Indian Ocean in July, but no ships, monsoon and war with the British in India. Ship turned up at the last minute, but got stalled and he had to observe from sea.\nHung around for 1769 transit...went to Manilia in 1768, but fell out with the governor and set off for Pondicherry...but completely clouded out.\nHe was ‘impatient to leave’....and headed for home from the Isle de France in November 1770, only to return on New Years 1771\n‘I was very well received by everybody; people went to their windows and doors when I passed through the streets, and I had many times the satisfaction of hearing people recognise me and attest loudly that I was alive’\n
- 7 million images each 125 Mpixels.\n
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- Full circle - like Herschel, discover a planet. And who knows - we might just inspire someone to a career in professional astronomy as successful as his was\n