An Introduction to Practical Astronomy: Volume 2
Containing Descriptions of the Various Instruments that Have Been Usefully Employed in Determining the Places of the Heavenly Bodies

Published in 1824–9, this two-volume guide to astronomical observation and calculation was among the first to appear in English.

William Pearson (Author)

9781108064064, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 5 September 2013

776 pages, 51 b/w illus.
29.7 x 21 x 3.9 cm, 1.83 kg

Although astronomical guides were available in the early nineteenth century, they tended to come from continental presses and were rarely in English. This two-volume work by the clergyman and astronomer William Pearson (1767–1847) aimed, with brilliant success, to compile data from extant sources into one of the first English practical guides to astronomy. Most of the tables were updated and improved versions, and some were wholly reconstructed to streamline the calculation processes. Sir John Herschel dubbed it 'one of the most important and extensive works on that subject which has ever issued from the press', and for his efforts Pearson was awarded the gold medal of the Astronomical Society. First published in 1829, Volume 2 provides full descriptions of a range of astronomical instruments, alongside instructions for their use and some pertinent equations and tables. In the history of science, Pearson's work reflects the contemporary challenges of celestial study.

1. Preliminary remarks
2. On the situation, structure, and furniture of an observatory
3. Rotative dome
4. Refracting telescopes with celestial eye-pieces
5. Diagonal eye-pieces
6. Celestial eye-pieces with variable powers
7. Erect eye-pieces
8. A popular explanation of the achromatism of the refracting telescope
9. Stands for achromatic telescopes
10. Equatorial or parallatic stands
11. The construction and use of the dynameter
12. The Dorpat refracting telescope
13. On reflecting telescopes
14. Stands for reflecting telescopes
15. The Herschelian forty feet reflector
16. Herschelian telescope as constructed by Ramage
17. On the space-penetrating powers of telescopes
18. An historical account of the different methods of measuring small celestial arcs
19. Spider's-line micrometer
20. Other methods of determining the value of a screw
21. Micrometrical scale with a constant magnifying power
22. On the different methods of illuminating the lines in the eye-piece of a telescope
23. A new polymetric reticle
24. Reticulated diaphragms
25. Circular and annular micrometers
26. La Caille's method
27. Smeaton's method
28. Dollond's object-glass micrometer
29. Experimental determination of the focal length and errors of a divided object-lens
30. Dollond's improved object-glass micrometer
31. Dioptric micrometers
32. Dioptric micrometer by T. Jones
33. The divided eye-lens micrometer
34. Ramsden's catoptric micrometer
35. Dr Maskylene's prismatic micrometer
36. The cuneiform micrometer
37. Rochon's crystal micrometer
38. Methods of determining the constant angle of a doubly refracting prism of rock crystal
39. The ocular crystal micrometer
40. The spherical crystal micrometer
41. Brewster's micrometrical telescope
42. The lamp-micrometer
43. Binocular spider's-line and glass-disc micrometers
44. On the use of position micrometers
45. Comparison of several micrometers
46. On clamps and tangent screws
47. On the vernier
48. On the reading microscope
49. On the plumb-line
50. On the spirit-level
51. On artificial horizons
52. On Flamsteed's and La Caile's methods of observing
53. On the transit clock
54. The transit instrument
55. A portable transit-instrument
56. Directions for the examination and adjustment of a transit-instrument
57. To determine the exact place for a meridian mark
58. On the errors of the transit-instrument in connexion with a clock or chronometer
59. The Moscow transit-instrument
60. The Greenwich transit-instrument
61. Observing and registering transits
62. Reduction of observed transits into mean right ascensions
63. On the correction of right ascension common to all stars
64. Transit-circle by Troughton
65. Reduction of the apparent zenith distance to the mean polar distance
66. Ramsden's altitude and azimuth circular instrument
67. The Westbury altitude and azimuth circle
68. The South Kilworth altitude and azimuth circle
69. The collimator
70. On the uses of a portable altitude and azimuth circular instrument
71. A new portable altitude, azimuth and zenith instrument
72. The Greenwich mural circle
Chs. 72-104
Plates.

Subject Areas: Popular astronomy & space [WNX]