Description of the Great Melbourne Telescope Extracted from The Philosophical Transactions, Vol. 159, 1869
London: Taylor and Francis, 1869. 1st Edition. FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING OF THE FIRST DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT MELBOURNE TELESCOPE built by Thomas Grubb of Dublin in 1868 and erected at Melbourne Observatory in 1869. The paper is accompanied by 10 lithographed plates.
The telescope erected was a reflector telescope with a speculum (metal) mirror of 48 inches in diameter; at the time it was the second largest telescope in the world and the largest in the southern hemisphere. Upon examination of the telescope at completion, Lord Rosse, Dr. Robinson, and Warren de la Rue expressed their opinion in a report that the telescope was a masterpiece of astronomical mechanism. Many important observations were carried out with the telescope, including those of Nebulae; it was also the first instrument to document gravitational lens light refraction. Item #112
CONDITION & DETAILS: London: Taylor and Francis. Extracted from The Philosophical Transactions. 4to. pp. 127-161. 10 lithographed plates depicting the telescope and its part in detail. Some slight toning and spotting to the plates; the text is bright and very clean.
Price: $275.00