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Last Updated on Thursday, 06 December 2007 16:41 |
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The RAS has been bequeathed a 10.5 inch reflecting telescope - are you interested in putting it to good use?
The RAS has been bequeathed a telescope by the late Mr Eric Northrop of Cheam, who made the telescope with his brother Eric. The telescope is a 10.5 inch reflecting telescope (f/8-10?). It sits in its observatory dome in the back garden.
The telescope is on a massive, rugged English cross-axis mount. Its optics are good. The telescope is electrically driven through a gear box by a worm and gear wheel drive. There are finding telescopes but no setting circles. The open-work tie-frame tube is nicely made. The telescope was finished about 1978 by the two men and has not been used for a decade, but is dry, moves freely and is well preserved. The brothers were technical staff in the Science Museum and the V&A respectively and their workmanship is good. It is however not a modern telescope. It is thought that the telescope could be disassembled into half a dozen main pieces and carried (or wheeled) through a garage to the street. It would need a day's work by people who can handle large metal pieces and a suitable vehicle ( eg large van). It would need to be re-erected on a solid foundation and covered by a building or dome. The existing 15 ft dome is more than a hemisphere on a rotating frame with an up and over shutter. It is made of segments of galvanized steel sheet, pop-riveted together. It is in working order but needs maintenance. It would be difficult to cut it up and remove it from the site; reassembling it would be even more problematic. The RAS is looking to make arrangements for this telescope to go to a good home. |
