this page is not quite blank. a new view of the universe ix fred watson, aao april 2005 a new view...

This page is not quite blank

A new view of the Universe IX Fred Watson, AAO April 2005 A new view of the Universe IX Fred Watson, AAO April 2005

Scientific controversy: Large and smallfrom the earliest times until today High-spirits: e.g. Professor G CENSORED e in Feb 1982

CENSORED

Scientific controversy: Large and smallfrom the earliest times until today High-spirits: e.g. Professor G CENSORED e in Feb 1982 Unintentional bad behaviour: e.g. GRACE gravity map (2001)

Scientific controversy: Large and smallfrom the earliest times until today High-spirits: e.g. Professor G CENSORED e in Feb 1982 Unintentional bad behaviour: e.g. GRACE gravity map (2001) Genuine stupidity: e.g. Andrew Barclays planet observations

Andrew Barclay and the Unrevealed Wonders of the Heavens

Andrew Barclay (1814-1900) Locomotive builder from Kilmarnock Became hooked on building telescopes on the side. While they were beautifully engineered, his telescopes were small and old-fashioned by the standards of the day. Optically, they were absolutely hopeless. But Barclay refused to believe they were

Barclay also described a blue, spherical-looking mountain in Mars southern hemisphere (1893) Andrew Barclays Mars

Barclays egg-shaped protruberances were later reported to have brown smoke issuing from them. His version of Jupiter

And Saturn

Barclays results appeared in the English Mechanic and were received with utter derision: I can only say that if I had a telescope that exhibited the great planet as depicted in Mr Bs Fig.1, I would dispose of the optical part for what it would fetch, and convert the tube into a chimney cowl straightway. (And thats one of the kind ones). Barclay protested he had spent 10,000 learning how to make telescope mirrors. How could there be anything wrong with them? He was clearly not only obstinate, but also stupid. The response to Barclays work

Tycho Brahe December 1566 Tycho Brahe December 1566

Tycho Brahes world on Hven, 15761597

Tycho was easily the most accomplished astronomer of the pre-telescopic era. E.g. his notes on the total lunar eclipse of 2 Mar 1588. Tycho had observed a similar lunar eclipse on 28 October 1566, as a 19-year-old student. It had proved to be a fateful event

It led him to develop prosthetic noses And perhaps explains his bad behaviour towards the locals Tobias Gemperles sketch of Tycho at the age of 40 (1587) clearly shows the result of Tychos dispute with Manderup Parsberg

The Invention of the Telescope October 1608 The Invention of the Telescope October 1608

The origins of the telescope

Seat of government of the States General of the Northern Provinces of The Netherlands. At war with Spain, 1568 1648 Binnenhof The Hague

Hans Lipperhey On the request of Hans Lipperhey, born in Wesel, living in Middelberg, spectacle- maker, having discovered a certain instrument for seeing far, as has been shown to the Gentlemen of the States, requesting that, since the instrument ought not to be made generally known, he be granted a patent for thirty years Thurs. 2nd October, 1608

Jacob Adriaenszoon Metius To Jacob Adriaenszoon Metius, son of Mr Adriaen Anthonissen, ex-burgomaster of the city of Alkmaar, who requests a patent on his invention to stretch out sight in such a manner that, with it, things could be seen very clearly, which otherwise, because of the distance, could not be seen at all Friday 17th October, 1608

The Third Claimant Sacharias Janssen, another spectacle-maker from Middelburg, was interviewed there by the Committee of Councillors of Zeeland on 14th October 1608. Their letter to the States General would have arrived the following week. Modern research shows Janssen to have had a spectacular criminal record (debt, assault, forgery); he went to ground to escape the death penalty in 1619. His son, Johannes Sachariassen, seems to have been similarly afflicted, with scant regard for truthfulness

Telescopes with lenses Della Portas sketch of 1609 shows the principle. But it was Galileo who turned it into an engine of discovery in the same year

Sir James South (17851866) v. Rev. Richard Sheepshanks (17941853) 182956 Sir James South (17851866) v. Rev. Richard Sheepshanks (17941853) 182956

Just watch it, South Oh, no, theyre at it again What are you looking at, Sheepshanks?

South, a gifted amateur of independent means (a surgeon by profession), knighted for his services to astronomy (double-star measurement), but outspoken in his criticism of the establishment. President of the RAS, 182931. Sheepshanks, forthright son of a Yorkshire mill-owner, a Cambridge-educated mathematician scornful of those less talented than himself. Secretary of the RAS, 182931. The Final Breakdown began with Souths procurement late in 1829 of a 12-in telescope lens, which he placed in the hands of his then-friend, Edward Troughton, asking him to construct Britains most powerful telescope Unbridled Animosity

By 1832, Troughton & Simms telescope had failed to satisfy South. He accused them of building a useless pile. Troughton took legal action to recover his firms costs. Guess who he hired as his lawyer? Troughton & Simms won in 1838, enraging South. So, in 1839

The scene at Sir James Souths, 8th July 1839 the useless 20ft equatorial invented by Troughton and Simms, and cobbled by their assistants the Rev. R. Sheepshanks and Mr. G. B. Airy

And, in 1842 South attempted to complete the humiliation of Troughton & Simms and their allies by addressing the humblest categories of tradesmen in the district Souths vitriol continued even after Sheepshanks death in 1853 The lens was never properly used by South.

Edwin Hubble & Adriaan van Maanen 192435 Edwin Hubble & Adriaan van Maanen 192435

Galaxies

Edge-on view of a spiral galaxy Controversy since Herschels time: Were they small and nearby or big and remote? Edwin Hubbles great achievement: In 1924, he confirmed that the spiral nebulae were in fact gigantic systems of stars at enormous distances

But van Maanen thought he had evidence they were nearby

We now know that Van Maanens earliest (1908) observations were flawed. Adjustments to the then-new 60-inch telescope had not been finally completedbut Van Maanen steadfastly believed all his results. Hubbles contempt blossomed when he repeated the measurements of van Maanens plates, demonstrating that the galaxy rotations were completely spurious. Walter Adams, their Director, had to reconcile their views in his 1935 report, which glossed over the dispute. But in confidence, he wrote This is not the first case in which Hubble has seriously injured himself in the opinion of scientific men by the intemperate and intolerant way in which he has expressed himself Recipe for Dispute

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Clube & Napier v. Alvarez et al. 197982 Clube & Napier v. Alvarez et al. 197982