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

About this eBook

Author

Dick, Thomas, 1774-1857

Credits

Produced by Chris Curnow, Wayne Hammond and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Language

English

LoC Class

QB: Science: Astronomy

Subject

Astronomical instruments

Category

Text

Project Gutenberg

eBook-No. 54420

Release Date

March 24, 2017

Copyright

Public domain in the USA.

Contents

1. 1.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. BY THOMAS DICK, LL.D. AUTHOR OF THE “CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER,” “CELESTIAL SCENERY,” “THE SIDEREAL HEAVENS,” &C. &C. Illustrated with One hundred Engravings. SEELEY, BURNSIDE, AND SEELEY, FLEET-STREET, LONDON. MDCCCXLV.
2. 2.PREFACE.
3. 3.CONTENTS.
4. 4.LIST OF ENGRAVINGS.
5. 5.PART I. ON LIGHT. — INTRODUCTION. — CHAPTER I. — GENERAL PROPERTIES OF LIGHT. — CHAPTER II. — ON THE REFRACTION OF LIGHT. — Extraordinary cases of refraction in relation to terrestrial objects. — CHAPTER III. — ON THE REFRACTION OF LIGHT THROUGH SPHERICAL TRANSPARENT SUBSTANCES, OR LENSES. — Reflections deduced from the preceding subject. — CHAPTER IV. — ON THE REFLECTION OF LIGHT. — Reflection by Convex and Concave Mirrors. — Properties of Convex Mirrors. — Uncommon appearances in nature produced by the combined influences of Reflection and Refraction. — Remarks and Reflections, in reference to the phenomena described above. — CHAPTER V. — SECT. I.—ON THE COLOURS OF LIGHT. — SECT. 2.—ON THE COLOURS OF NATURAL OBJECTS. — SECT. 3.—PHENOMENA OF THE RAINBOW. — SECT. 4.—REFLECTIONS ON THE BEAUTY AND UTILITY OF COLOURS.
6. 6.PART II. ON TELESCOPES. — CHAPTER I. — HISTORY OF THE INVENTION OF TELESCOPES. — CHAPTER II. — OF THE CAMERA OBSCURA. — CHAPTER III. — ON THE OPTICAL ANGLE, AND THE APPARENT MAGNITUDE OF OBJECTS. — CHAPTER IV. — ON THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF REFRACTING TELESCOPES. — SECT 1.—THE GALILEAN TELESCOPE. — SECT. 2.—THE COMMON ASTRONOMICAL REFRACTING TELESCOPE. — SECT. 3.—THE AERIAL TELESCOPE. — SECT. 4.—THE COMMON REFRACTING TELESCOPE FOR TERRESTRIAL OBJECTS. — SECT. 5.—TELESCOPE FORMED BY A SINGLE LENS. — SECT. 6.—THE ACHROMATIC TELESCOPE. — Notices of some large Achromatic telescopes on the Continent and in Great Britain. — Achromatic telescopes of a moderate size. — Proportions of curvature of the lenses which form an achromatic object-glass. — Achromatic telescopes composed of fluid lenses. — Barlow’s refracting telescope with a fluid concave lens. — ROGERS’ ACHROMATIC TELESCOPE ON A NEW PLAN. — CHAPTER V. — ON REFLECTING TELESCOPES. — SECT. 2.—THE HERSCHELIAN TELESCOPE. — SECT. 3.—RAMAGE’S LARGE REFLECTING TELESCOPE. — SECT. 4.—THE AERIAL REFLECTOR—CONSTRUCTED BY THE AUTHOR. — SECT. 4.—EARL OF ROSSE’S REFLECTING TELESCOPES. — SECT. 5.—REFLECTING TELESCOPES WITH GLASS SPECULA. — SECT. 6.—A REFLECTING TELESCOPE, WITH A SINGLE MIRROR AND NO EYE-PIECE. — ON THE EYE-PIECES OF TELESCOPES. — SECT. 2.—TERRESTRIAL EYE-PIECES. — Description of an eye-piece, &c. of an old Dutch Achromatic Telescope. — SECT. 3.—DESCRIPTION OF THE PANCRATIC EYE-TUBE. — CHAPTER VI. — MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS IN RELATION TO TELESCOPES. — ON MEGALASCOPES, OR TELESCOPES FOR VIEWING VERY NEAR OBJECTS. — REFLECTIONS ON LIGHT AND VISION—AND ON THE NATURE AND UTILITY OF TELESCOPES. — CHAPTER VII. — ON THE METHOD OF GRINDING AND POLISHING OPTICAL LENSES AND SPECULA.
7. 7.PART III. ON VARIOUS ASTRONOMICALINSTRUMENTS. — CHAPTER I. — ON MICROMETERS. — CHAPTER II. — ON THE EQUATORIAL TELESCOPE, OR PORTABLE OBSERVATORY. — Observations on the fixed stars and planets, made in the day-time by the Equatorial. — Observations on the Planets made in the day-time. — Observations on Jupiter and other planets. — Utility of Celestial Day Observations. — ON THE QUADRANT. — THE ASTRONOMICAL CIRCLE. — THE TRANSIT INSTRUMENT. — CHAPTER III. — ON OBSERVATORIES. — CHAPTER IV. — ON ORRERIES OR PLANETARIUMS. — HENDERSON’S PLANETARIUM. — ON THE VARIOUS OPINIONS WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY FORMED OF SATURN’S RING. — ON THE SUPPOSED DIVISIONS OF THE EXTERIOR RING OF SATURN.
8. 8.APPENDIX. — BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE EARL OF ROSSE’S TELESCOPE. — HINTS TO AMATEURS IN ASTRONOMY RESPECTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF TELESCOPES.
9. 9.ERRATA.
10. 10.FOOTNOTES: — Transcriber’s Note:

Community reviews

Sign in to write a review.

No reviews yet.