The wonders of the Aerial telescopes

 
  For many years I have observed with singlets and this is my fully embrace passion a completely new approach of astronomy different from today comfortable standards.
The 5.5m long telescope is now finished and the wooden elements are painted and refurbished and all goes well.
Bigger wonder's are yet to come but for now the 5.5m scope delivers amazing views even without a need for a eyepiece and with eyepiece has well.
The rhombus mechanism is perfect and easy to work with now using a new approach its much easy to align stars at low magnification and to track them also the moon is the most amazing object to view with a singlet, but i am not forgetting the planets has well there are fantastic.
The principle its simple the back end of the scope controls the front part by the use of a long stick made just for this purpose to control the objective mounting setup in front.
At first it’s a little tricky but in time I get so much easy to work with and the advantage of this design is that the objective lens and eyepiece are align almost all the time without the need to get up and personally align the front mount of the objective every time it gets out of alignment.


For longer and longer focal length lenses these approach is completely unreliable because of the very long focus the stick will induce vibrations and it can pull the objective mount down from its position high up on those tables, and don’t forget the long stick will bend under its own weight at the middle. So for a longer scope the the stick method is not going to work and I need to climb the stair and adjust the lens every time.The only advantage is that very long focal length lenses are not sensitive at collimation at all you can observe in all positions and even if you are not properly align it doesn’t matter because the image will still be clear even a eyepiece at 30cm out of axis from the objective you won’t fell nothing in the image it will still be clear. The same deal was with huge aerial telescopes in the 17th century.

A Brief History and explanation about Aerial telescopes

   Campani’s promised production of an aerial telescope for the Cardinal was the subject of discussion also in a letter by the Bolognese nobleman Francesco Zambeccari written from Rome in mid-September 1705 to Vittorio Stancari at Bologna. Zambeccari reported how, during a recent sojourn in Rome, he had paid a visit to Campani’s shop, and therein, in addition to other items, the instrument maker had shown him a manuscript.
The manuscript was Campani’s account for “combining telescopes without tubes of whatever length” containing complete details and instructions—namely, his notes on the construction of aerial telescopes with a description of his mechanism for elevating them. The use of the latter, Zambeccari reported that Campani had told him, was of the utmost simplicity so that even a boy would be able to prepare all that was necessary in not more than 15 minutes without assistance from anyone. Campani considered this procedure to be a great invention, and he declared that he was disposed to sell it but only for a great price. At that time Campani had not yet completed the project commissioned by Cardinal de Polignac, and what he was disposed to sell was a mechanism of the same sort that represented the state of the art. He then showed Zambeccari another invention that he proposed would be useful for raising the memorial column at Montecitorio with facility.
In Bianchini’s judgment, the method for using the aerial telescope proposed by Huygens resulted in being no more than ever inconvenient as far as the necessity to eliminate, at least in part, the foreign rays. The Dutch astronomer had been constrained, especially in observations of the craters of the moon, to surround the object lens with a sheet of cardboard that, as one could argue, served as a screen to every minimal breath of wind that created notable disturbance.
On the other hand, the method adopted by Cassini presented a notable improvement when compared with that of Huygens; the two movable frames with which the object lens had been furnished successfully facilitated the alignment of the eyepiece and object lens with the celestial object to be observed. The inconveniences, however, were not entirely eliminated if one considered that the external still somewhat disturbed the imagery and that the positioning of the object lens, even if it was facilitated by a small quadrant on which could be read the height of the star to be observed, had always to be entrusted to a second person. It was the same Campani, Bianchini had noted in his manuscript, who had suggested to Cassini to place a small telescope close beside the object lens to further facilitate the work of the assistant. Bianchini attributed the concept of this idea entirely to Campani who, on the basis of this testimony, could consider himself the creator of that simple but precious application of the “seeker instrument” that, even to this day, remains extremely useful. The superiority of the telescope without tubes, according to Bianchini, was undisputed, although Campani’s method did not in fact eliminate all the problems indicated. While the cords, if stretched taut, could eliminate the possibility that the long tube would curve, a problem remained of the difficulty of maneuvering or holding the instrument still without motion, given that its mass could not be of entirely overcome, even if they were stretched. In making observations during succeeding years, both Campani and Bianchini continued to use telescopes without tubes. In 1712, Bianchini took with him from Rome to the royal observatory in Paris an apparatus for elevating aerial telescopes of 50 to 60 French feet (l foot = 32.48 cm) that subsequently was modified by the French for use with objectives of even greater focal length. This was the mechanism that had been devised by Campani in 1709, completed after an unknown number of years of experimentation.


While on Cassini's advice the lenses were preferably ordered in Rome, there was no lack of effort to create national products. In the expense reports of the time, sums paid to Frenchmen frequently appear, as do several meeting minutes of the astronomers Cassini, Picard, Roemer, Carcavi, Borel, Huyghens, Perrault, to carry out comparative tests between various lenses in Colbert's presence. Exams that always gave the Italians the undisputed victory.
If normal mounting with metal, cardboard or even parchment tubes was possible with short focus objectives, the difficulties multiplied when, in the search for ever greater magnifications, the distances between objective and eyepiece increased out of proportion. It seems almost inconceivable to us today how the astronomers of the 17th century managed, despite the technique of the time, to make observations with objectives having a focus that sometimes reached 40 metres. To achieve this exceptional virtuosity they had to resort to makeshifts. For medium lengths the objective and eyepiece were mostly fixed to the opposite ends of a long beam, kept rigid by special reinforcements; everything was then suspended by means of ropes and pulleys with high rods. The prints of the time provide us with frequent representations of it.
Cassini had, in addition to some smaller ones, planted a large antenna on the terrace flanking the Observatory, applying a much more rational and rigid system than the usual beam. In his notes he calls it "tube à trois faces d'échelles": in fact the device over twenty meters long (70 feet) had the shape of a triangular prism, the walls of which were made up of wooden lattices in the shape of a ladder, reinforced by transverse bars. If the objective placed at the end facing the sky was immobile, the eyepiece located at the other end could be moved forwards or backwards, its frame being able to slide in special grooves.
Anyway, Cassini made some personal modifications to improve the usability of this instrument. For example, he devised what he called a “tube à trois faces d’échelles” which is described in the book: “L’opera del genio italiano all’estero” by Savorgnan di Brazzà. Literally, the French expression means “three-sided ladder tube” and it was a sort of 20-m “tube” shaped as a triangular prism. Its wooden faces were not solid, but the rigidity of the structure was improved with respect to the standard rod thanks to a sort of “ladder-like” framework. The same arrangement included a mechanism that allowed the eyepiece to be moved back and forth along some grooves, and thus to set the focus with respect to the lens on the opposite side, which instead was fixed.

The 70 feet telescope on a “three-sided tube mount system



Among other things, Giovanni Cassini elaborated a mount for spyglasses or telescopes with a clockwork system called “machine parallatique” or parallax machine that, similar to modern instrumentation, could compensate for the Earth’s rotation, so that one could fix a star in the sky and follow it for the whole night. When the Observatory was enriched with lenses of even greater focus, it was necessary to give up any stable device. In this case the objective was fixed on the end of the antenna or on the top of the observatory, and there was no connection between the large lens and the eyepiece; the observer was therefore obliged, to follow the course of the star, to move with the eyepiece, either using a support that moved in various directions or simply holding it with the hand. It is easy to understand how the centering of such an optical system was random and difficult, and what practice it required from astronomers. However, what helped them was the fact that, since the aperture ratio of the lenses at the time was very small, the extra axial aberrations were not sensitive, even to movements of about ten degrees from the axis.

Aerial telescope objective lens 20cm diameter 44m or 49m focus on a complicated clockwork movement mechanism mounting

The Observer at the end with the eyepice in one hand observing the planet through the 20cm objective lens with 44m or 49m focal length

Paris observatory in the 17th century by Jacques Cassini, élements d'astronomie,1691


Video About Paris Observatory Aerial telescopes





The eastern tower of the Observatory and the high antenna on the nearby terrace, although suitable for fixing objectives up to 100 feet of focus at suitable heights, proved insufficient for the use of lenses with a greater range. Cassini, in 1685, obtained from the minister Louvois, who succeeded Colbert, to take advantage of the very high wooden tower (129 feet) then inoperative, built in 1676 in Marly, to raise it by means of a complicated machine (invention of the Belgian Sualem) the waters of the Seine necessary to feed the fountains of Versailles. The long and expensive transport and its assembly at the Observatory were completed only in 1688. Cassini, as usual, made practical changes: he established a platform on top, installing various holding devices and a clockwork movement capable of maintaining the vision of the star as it moves across the sky Cassini was also responsible for the construction of the first equatorial equipped with graduated circles to determine hour angles and declinations, an invention usually attributed to Loreno Wagringe (1685-1746). He also thought of adapting a clock system to telescopes, in order to be able to follow the course of the stars, and equipped one of Campani's great objectives with this device.

Closing this review of the large telescopes used by Cassini, in thinking about the precariousness of their handling, we cannot help but be admired by the results obtained by him, and by the astronomers of his time. They required truly exceptional patience and technical ability, which is one of the no less titles to glory of the astronomers of the century. XVII.

So in essence the aerial objective mounted on the Marly tower 40m high was put on a kind of mount that tracked the star movement this can be seen in the illustration from 1691 from Theses mathematicae de optica propugnabuntur a Jacobo Cassini,... die.. August 10, 1691.
This is the strange mounting of the objective lens in the illustration from 1691, a mechanism to track the stars, an assistant maneuvering this assembly on a tall ladder up and down the tower.
The other objective was mounted on the terrace of the Observatory and at the proper moment calculated by astronomers the object in the sky intersected the objective lens, this observation was crucial because you need to be at the right place at the right time to make use of such device and to observe the object very quickly and with patience to find it in the eyepiece observe and record it before it drifts away. 
In Paris it was decided in 1685 to obtain for observations the wooden tower of Marly, 120 feet high. Du Hamel wrote on May 23 of this year to Huygens after having mentioned the observations without a pipe - that we will bring in the said tower 'in case we need to use a pipe'. According to him, the tower should therefore only be used to support long glasses, a bit like Huygens says in Astroscopy that you can lean your mast against a tower. It is however certain that the Marly tower was also used to observe without a pipe: see pe, in addition to note 22 which precedes, p. 167 of C. Wolf's book where it is a question of the stairs of the tower used to 'carry the objectives there', as well as the letter of December 5, 1686 from de la Hire to Huygens where he speaks about the tower of ' slides from the sides to raise the objective warto all kinds of heights'. These scenes are apparently of the same type as those which Huygens used. He was therefore not entirely wrong in writing in August 1684 to his brother Constantyn do not doubt 'that in the future [the Parisians] will be very happy to follow [his] method'. However, nothing indicates that in Paris, during Huygens' lifetime, the position of the lens was adjusted by a long wire.

This brilliant period for physical astronomy was followed by a period of rapid decline. For much of the century. XVIII the large telescopes were abandoned and many discoveries were forgotten, observers having proven incapable of seeing what Cassini and his contemporaries had discovered. The fact that astronomy had increasingly oriented its efforts away from physics and towards positional astronomy contributed significantly to this.


Aerial telescope objective lens mounting upclose


A rooftop aerial objective mounting upclose



The observer with eyepiece in one hand observing through the long focus objective mounted on the roof of the observatory


The Observer at the end with the eyepice in one hand observing the planet through the 44m long focus lens



A detailed note written by Gian Domenico Cassini is preserved in the Observatory archives, which provides precise indications on the methods he used in observing the stars, when using these tubeless telescopes. It is not without interest to report the most salient passages, since with these subsequent provisions he managed to make, in 1675, the discovery of the division of Saturn's ring, which bears his name, and to add two more satellites to those discovered in 1684. in 1671 and 1672.
«The vision of the first and second satellites of Saturn, recently discovered, was accomplished by means of the excellent lenses worked in Rome by Campani, sent to the Observatory by order of SM1). From one of 100 and the other of 136 feet, and later by two of 60 and 70 feet. I used it in March 1684 without the tube, placing the objective above the Observatory whose range was such that, facing Saturn as it passed the meridian, it had its focus at the level of the eye located in the lower courtyard on the northern side. What I found from the calculation. I made a lectern the width of the opening made in the eastern tower for this kind of observations, interlocking it strongly, so that being placed at the height indicated by the calculation, it could not be shaken in any way by the wind to which the Observatory was exposed. The surface of this lectern, which had an opening proportionate to the lens it carried, was inclined towards the horizon, so as to be able to receive Saturn's rays perpendicularly. The objective being thus arranged, when Saturn approached the meridian, one went into the courtyard equipped with the eyepiece, positioning oneself in a straight line with Saturn and the objective, in order to find the focus. As this was difficult at first, the image of Saturn was received on a square cardboard, and by bringing it to an angle, the eyepiece was placed on a support which allowed it to be raised and lowered, and moved easily, horizontally. Then the eye was applied to the eyepiece, which was directed more exactly towards the star, because even if the image fell on the eyepiece, Saturn was not seen unless the eyepiece was placed in the right position. The degree of clarity of the object made it possible to recognize whether the focus was correct, moving forward and backwards until finding the point where the image was most distinct. You could easily observe a quarter of an hour before and after the passage to the meridian, the objective remaining still and only moving the eyepiece." An entirely primordial method that required numerous hesitations on the part of the observer and made the time needed for observations short. Cassini also thought about making subsequent repairs to this, finding a way to make the lens moveable. «We began (Cassini continues in his memory) to provide the lectern holding the lens with a horizontal and vertical movement, and it was finally placed on a lever to raise and lower it. In order to be able to follow the star for a longer time, causing the objective to perform part of the variation in height, another eyepiece, which we then placed on a support supported by a foot, over which it can slide easily and It stops when you want, by means of a spring that is applied to it.
After having succeeded in the observations of the passage of the stars through the meridian, which are the easiest, due to the small variation in height, which occurs over a fairly long time, we also began observations at the other heights, now placing the objective on 'Observatory, now above the antenna of the great telescope, now above the great wooden tower 120 feet high, which SM had Marly carry onto the terrace of the Observatory.' 

Francesco Binanchini a the end of an aerial telescope holding the eyepiece in his hands, mounted on a stand


Campani had attached a document to his reply to Marsili that was handwritten by Bianchini but unsigned, in which the Monsignor analyzed the subject of aerial telescopes. He expressed approval of Campani’s long focus telescopes but was opposed to those of Christiaan Huygens, he noted. Of particular interest in this document was Bianchini’s attribution to Campani of the idea of attaching a small telescope on the tube close to the object lens for the purpose of identifying celestial bodies. He wrote:

It has been requested by a personage intending to promote science to express my opinion concerning the furnishing of astronomical instruments for the astronomical observatory. I have informed myself on the versatile subject with those well versed in observations and especially with Sig. Filippo Maraldi, nephew of Sig. Cassini and the others of the Académie Royale des Sciences in Paris, from what they have responded, and from the reflections that I have made in connection that I have also availed myself of these instruments for that studio, which have some distinct purpose as follows.

For the eclipse of the moon and of the sun it is enough to have telescopes of long focus of from about 8 up to 15 Roman palms because up to this length they show all the disks of the planet in one opening of the tube.

For the eclipse of the satellites of Jupiter the most comfortable is to avail oneself of a tube about 25 Roman palms with which they can be observed sufficiently distinctly. Even a tube of 15 Roman palms would be adequate.

In order to observe the diameters and the disks of the planets, one of 50 palms made by a good maker and is available to demonstrate them sufficiently clearly. Recently, with one made by Sig. Campani, we have observed Venus a short time before the Synod with the Sun lightly curved. With the same one we have observed the ring of Saturn and in preceding years, the band of Jupiter and similar particulars of their bodies.

But to see clearly all the satellites of Saturn, I believe that a length less than 100 Roman palms is sufficient. Sig. Maraldi had told me that these have been discovered most recently by Cassini, with one of about that length that had been made by Sig. Campani. Although it appears at first sight difficult to manage a telescope of such a great length, however, Sig. Campani proved it some fourteen years ago in the garden of Sig. Prince Pamphili being able to raise one of 90 palms with the mechanism of his invention that succeeded most admirably, and with incredible ease and convenience, so much so that I estimate that one can equalize to that of M. Huygens, who showed a method of using the lenses without tubes. I have seen set up with this invention in Brescia by Sig. Cervaro in the year 1696 (while he was Captain for the Most Serene Republic of Venice in that city) a lens of 150 and possibly 200 palms (that at the beginning essentially I did not recall) that succeeded well. Sig. Campani in that year has proven that the other invention of Sig. Cassini of using lenses without tubes, to which Sig. Maraldi had referred, had similarly succeeded well. But upon reflecting upon the circumstances that close by, I would say that it seems that it would have been much easier to use the same lenses with the tube for the invention before Sig. Campani: and that in this there would have been a great advantage in order to see with distinction the celestial bodies over the method of using the lenses without tubes. Comparing the facility and the advantages, if earlier I had explained succinctly enough the manner of using the lenses without tubes already, since that the other method of using and managing with tubes still much longer, of 130 and 150 palms, are explained sufficiently in the brochure printed by Campani. M. Huygens placed the objective CD upon the staff BC. The staff is folded in A and at the same time in counterweight in such a manner as to by means of the weight E that with a string of silk EG makes it self obey in a long distance of 150 to 200 palms to take whichever direction the objective CD either [any] direction. At the end of the string G by means of another small mechanism similar are placed its glasses of equal measure with the tube, and for this invention is recovered an incredible distance. The advantage of using the lenses with the tube, one cannot believe who has not experimented, and I will compare with the other invention without tubes. The tube in this manner that still does not require towers and wooden structures. It is enough to have a plan upon which is erected an antenna in the manner described by Sig. Campani.


Paris Observatory and Marly tower illustration 17th century

It would be inconvenient to transport the mechanism of Sig. Campani, when it would succeed in transporting the wooden structure of the observatory in Paris [Marly tower]. Neither the wind nor the weight gives disturbance to the tube in the invention of the said Sig. Campani, having been seen in practice that the
cords of his retain the axis of the tube in a straight line, and does not permit it to be moved by the wind. Certainly the wind greatly inconveniences those who conserve the method of M. Huygens because the large cardboard that is attached to the object glass.
I would say, therefore, that the astronomical assortment capable of making whatever observation should be provided with:

A telescope of 8 to 10 palms

One of l5, or of 20

One of 25 or 30

One of 50

One of 100 palms at least, or possibly of 120 to 130, that would be better and I would say that these ultimate telescopes should be used with a tube of the type invented by Sig. Campani, better than one of the two others of Sig. Huygens or of Sig. Cassini.

The superiority of telescopes utilizing tubes over the aerial telescope, according to Bianchini, remained without question, although the method developed by Campani did not totally eliminate the problems indicated. While the ropes held well taut could eliminate curving of the long tube, the difficulty of maintaining or keeping the instrument immobile, given its massive structure, was not entirely surpassed if the same Campani and Bianchini made use of the telescope without tubes in the years that followed. In 1713, in fact, Bianchini presented to the Académie in France a new method for transporting and maneuvering large aerial telescopes.



 One of the manuscripts richest in technical information is the one entitled Diligence to be practiced to clearly see objects on the ground with telescopes without tubes with a length of eighty or more palms which expresses a working hypothesis with vast applications. He therefore thought Mr. Campani to the invention of making use of glasses of any focal distance and diameter at all times, both during the day for terrestrial objects and at night for celestial objects and again for terrestrial objects when they are illuminated with a sufficient quantity of lights without the need for any tubes. And after much speculation he has finally tried again and proved a very safe way of using lenses worked at any amplitude [of curvature] of the sphere, thus in gazing at celestial bodies, as well as terrestrial ones, without compromising the distinction that the tube would give perfectly protected from external rays. and held perfectly straight with the axis of the objective and the eyepiece.
Finding myself in Rome at the aforementioned time, I wanted to talk about that rare invention myself. So promises Mr. Campani to communicate a newly discovered way to direct the objectives and eyepieces of any telescope size that was many hundreds of palms in length to any object exposed to our view, whether in the sky or on earth, without the need for a tube ; and to keep them directly fixed in the established object and to follow and accompany its motion if it is mobile, like the planets, with the same clarity with which the same object would be seen by inserting the lenses into the tube extended from the objectives to the eyepieces, and held perfectly straight in line. He states whether the way of using his invention is as quick and simple for the very few tools or instruments needed that a single person can aim without help from others as is necessary for the use of any large telescope of 200 or more palms: and what to observe? Currently still in the sky, just observing yourself is enough to ensure the machine is always kept facing exactly towards the planet or other body that concerns.
As we read, this particular observation machine developed by Bianchini and Campani was the telescope without the lens support tube, which however required a precise technique for pointing and focusing on the subject. By following the instructions and drawings prepared by Bianchini it is possible to reconstruct the use of his machinery: in the figure down below you can see the tripod AB on which the objective lens C is placed which can be oriented from any side by being placed on a pin A. In this then a wire (NTV) is stretched on the same straight line that connects the object S that one wants to observe and the center of the objective C, a straight line therefore passing through the centers of the ocular lens in the TV tube; it is necessary to be careful to verify the correctness of the positioning in a straight line by temporarily replacing the objective lens CA on the tripod AB with a cardboard circle DA which has a small perforated circle D. Naturally the distance AD of the center of that hole from the top of the support A must be equal to the distance CA of the center of the objective lens C from the top A of the tripod, in which the supports the objective itself is recessed. In addition to the alignment system, it was also necessary to eliminate the light coming from other directions that could end up in the eyepieces and disturb vision.
The complex setup operations had been described in great detail and we can follow them in the words of Bianchini himself who develops an example. Therefore, wanting to look at the statue S, for example, at the top of a building far SW from the site E of the plane EB, now a telescope of eighty and more palms will have to be placed (first figure). I will place the tripod AB, which must support the objective mount (figure second) 80 or more palms away from the other EK tripod, which must support the three eyepiece lenses. In our telescope the difference will be BE 85 Roman palms. On the tripod AB (second figure) instead of the objective glass I first place the circle of cardboard D perforated in the middle with a hole two or three centimeters wide only then in the hole EK I place the tripod with the square box KY in which the tube with the three eyepiece glasses will be placed. In this square box KY I place inside it the tube of the ocular lenses for the large telescope, but now to center the eyepiece with objective we placed a grid of two crossed wires, moving the tripod EKY up and down, left and right until in the center of that cross, which inside the telescope forms the two rows of the grid, you can see the statue S through the hole D of the cardboard circle DA.
So I am certain that if I place the center of the objective in D I will obtain the center of the perforated cardboard and in the YK box, instead of the RQ telescope, the tube (second figure) which includes the three ocular lenses of the large 85 palm telescope, all lenses of the objective and eyepieces will be in a straight line from point Q, where I will keep my eye, but straight to the statue S proposed to look at.
Therefore, being certain that this line is straight, I remove the cardboard AD (second figure) from the tripod AB and without moving the tripod AB point from its place, I place myself above the objective AC (second figure) the center of which C will be where the center D of the cardboard was precisely there, having purposely made the two measurements AD AC the same. The objective lens C has three iron wires in the socket, which join together at N and at the N tip of this triangular pyramid Ndbx the wire is attached, which must hold the situation of the objective in a straight line with the eyepieces. Pull the NTV wire up to the square KY box, where the eyepieces will be located. In this form we are therefore sure that all four holes and their centers are in a straight line with the object being looked at.
In addition to this diligence to keep the centers in a straight line, another must be done to exclude all the other rays that come out of the objective onto the eyepieces, which, if not excluded, would prevent the view of the object. 
Place three black canvases of canvas dyed black that do not shed any light and are approximately 5 palms wide and approximately 6 palms high. In the middle of these canvases there is a round hole as large as the aperture of the lens. The first canvas is placed approximately 5 palms away from the objective towards the eyepieces, i.e. in F. The second in G is 50 palms away from C and the third in H is 70 palms away from C so that it will be 15 palms away from the YK eyepiece box.
These canvases are placed perpendicular and made to lie flat with weights attached. They are formed in such a way that the holes can rise and fall so that the center of each hole allows the straight wire to pass from N to T and consequently all the rays that come from the object S to the objective C and from the objective C are sent along the NT axis to its focus in T where through the eyepieces they must turn and pass on to the eye of the observer.
Be careful to have these canvases supported by two perpendicular sticks crossed by three sticks at the top in the middle, and tripods that form like a canvas. And for the foot traverse you pass another cross traverse into which iron pegs can be driven in to hold it in place in the supposedly earthen floor. If the floor is made of stone or brick in which the aforementioned feet cannot be nailed with iron pegs, it will be necessary instead to place large stones on those crosses so that their weight will hold them hold the canvas and canvas firmly and straight so that the wind cannot throw the canvases to the ground. With these precautions, excluding all useless rays and directly receiving those sent by the illuminated object, it is necessary that the objective if it is well worked, sends the rays to their right place and the eyepiece receive them and redirect them at the right end without showing any signs of damage.  Thus the object can be seen clearly and distinctly if the lens is well crafted.

There is no mention of these kind of device was used at observing celestial objects, at Paris Observatory or by another astronomer, at first its a complicated solution and the most easy way so far for astronomers is the Cassini method implemented at Paris Observatory for such a device without a tube or wire. There is no reference that Bianchini and Campani invention was ever used by an astronomer.


Aiming and positioning diagram of the telescope without tube, taken from the manuscript «Diligence to be practiced to clearly see objects on the ground with telescopes without tube with a length of eighty or more palms».



So in this way let's return in the 21th century at our replicas and instruments based on 17th century telescopes in the modern era.

All of our instruments at my observatory are singlets i have sold my commercial telescopes, dobsonian and achromatic refactors to work on singlet telescopes with best optical performance, even better optics then commercial chinese telescopes at low price and medium price.
These singlets outperform all commercial small achromatic refractors now a days and these is because Tavi F is making exceptional optical components without him this filed will simply vanish.
The worst singlet lenses are meniscus lenses or commonly known as eyeglass lenses today you can find them at any eyeglass shop at 65mm raw lenses not polished one but pressed - are not god for astronomy.

The only way in the modern era to have acces to a singlet refactor is to make  yourself the objective lens, or to contact some amateur astronomer that knows how to make one. 
There are many optical companies in Europe and USA that supply simple plano convex lenses at big cost but there are pour in quality, not suited for these job.
So like in the 17th century you must make the lenses yourself or buy from someone that makes one of these and are willing to make for you a singlet objective lens.
In the field of eyepiece will not enter because is the last think you will consider, there are plenty of eyepiece in the astronomy shops around the world.
Our 69mm 5.5m objective lens full diameter was made by Tavi F a well known amateur astronomer and optican of exceptional quality. 
And this is my fully aerial telescope all completed.

In my case a tall pillar its simply impossible to build at my observation space in the courtyard because the terrain is bumpy and crowded with trees. Those large trees i hope in the autumn will be cut down because it takes up a lot of space and its getting risky to fall on a big storm.
So even with the trees cut down i can not mount a pillar because in front of that its a wall and other trees side by side and after that the garden, my observing site its on a terrace.
So its difficult to mount a pole because of the way the courtyard its design so i have to resume to other means to observe witch such a scope. 
Those tables and stools are very good for that, i have to climb a ladder to put the dobsonian mount with the objective on top.
Now to reach the maximum height i climb the ladder with the mount in one hand  and put it there on top. 
With the 5.5m scope i can reach 47 degrades up with all of the chairs mounted standing on the grass with the eyepiece in my hand.
This is the maximum height for these setup using that ladder, its just perfect.
Actually with this setup i have free will all across the southern side if is mounted  towards the south side I can observe the south, south est and south west part of the sky if the mount is putt in the south side.The est and west its impossible i have to take down the mount and the dismantle all and put the setup in the est part to observe the hole est side.
This is the way it functions.

 


The maximum height reached

The 5.5m scope is completed

The rhombus mechanism

The rhombus mechanism

The rhombus mechanism

The rhombus mechanism

Towards the objective

The full scope





Videos of the Moon through the 64mm objective lens 5.5m focal 
length without eyepiece:











Processed Videos






Description of Huygens Aerial telescope 

Now in the 17th century many illustration of Aerial telescopes observations are with the eyepiece in the observer hand.

This is crucial because has we will discus below the easiest way to observe with an aerial telescope is to use the eyepiece in your hands. Huygens invented a way for visitors to observe without the to use and find the object with the eyepiece in there hands by utilizing a  rhombus system mount for the eyepiece that stabilize the image and has the opportunity to track the object and to find it. This was strictly for visitors only, Huygens preferreder the method in which the observer holds the eyepiece in one hand that is resting on a frame.

The rohmobus method its very complicated when you observe with instruments having 34 feet or 120 feet not to mention 200 feet. 

In many illustrations of aerial telescopes there is hard to find one with a eyepiece supporting system because professional observers never use it or probably did but under detailed observations or in special occasions. The only image I can find it’s the original drawing of Huygens Aerial telescope first concept, the other illustrations are with the eyepiece in the observer hand.

Huygens Aerial telescope first concept.



Illustrations of Aerial telescope observing without eyepiece mount.



Paris Observatory in 1680 observing with eyepiece in the observer hand


Huygens aerial telescope with eyepiece in two hands


Huygens Aerial telescope



Aerial telescope with the eyepiece in one hand



Aerial telescope from Amsterdam, the observer holds the eyepiece in one hand. 





To support this argument that manly astronomers used there eyepiece in there hands this can be found in Huygens Astroscopia Compendiaria.


But for now let's quote Huygens abut the construction and use of a aerial telescope made by him:
The Rhombus

  As soon as visitors, less accustomed to astronomical observations, arrived to see our invention and contemplate the Planets, experience taught us that they had some difficulty in bringing the star they wanted to see into their visual field, as it had also been before when they came to look through large pipe telescopes. But in the latter case we had gotten into the habit of looking for the star ourselves, so that the spectator only had to apply his eye, at our invitation, to the telescope remaining in the right position. However, we could not now use the same method, since the ocular lens could not be fixed in a specific place. So here too we had to find a way to hold it in place.
In the latter is the transverse board at the upper end of the support and forming part of it is a collapsible copper rhombus, two sides of which are extended to double length. The length of the sides is 5½ inches, their width a little more than half an inch, their thickness a little more than a tenth of an inch. An iron screw connects this rhombus to the middle of the transverse board; below it is a piece of copper or iron and in addition a some what convex plate of thin copper thanks to the pressure of which the deployment of the rhombus takes place slowly and continuously. At the top of the latter and perpendicular to it an axis or rather a small columns, an inch and a half long, projects. At the other end of this column is attached a movable plate, 4 inches long, half an inch wide, invisible in the figure since it is covered by the piece of wood of the same length in which it is framed. A second copper plate is also framed in this piece which has a groove in its flat surface in front. This last plate supports by a small movable axis the penis carrying the ocular lens enclosed in its small tube. However, to obtain that the rhombus with its load is in indifferent equilibrium with respect to the axis, certain weights equal to each other are attached to the ends of the extended sides.
This having been thus arranged, the ocular lens remains in place wherever it has been brought by the hand of the observer, the piece always remaining vertical. In this way, when the star has been found, the less experienced visitor easily takes the place of the first observer and enjoys the same spectacle. In fact, the wire which joins the two lenses causes the support, slightly inclined towards the observer, to keep its position although resting on only two feet, and at the same time the wire is stretched by the weight of the support and the objects. that we said we were attached to it, so that nothing more apt or more convenient could be desired in this matter.
The height of the support is 4 feet 9 inches, his weight 2¾ pounds. That of the ocular lens, with the little tube and the rod, of half a pound. That of the rhombus with the weights, 2¼ pounds. I give these figures to put everyone in a position to imitate our proven construction with even more ease.
We will now add yet another remark by which our method of observing is made more perfect. It is permissible to take no account of it; this will not lead to any unfortunate consequences. However, it is by no means negligible for a diligent contemplator of the stellar world. This is what it comes down to. When I carefully looked for the famous Cassinian satellites of Saturn and found it difficult to see them, especially during the not-quite-dark nights, I understood that the obstacle lay in a certain faint luminosity propagating from the looks to the eye; it is not a question of the light which comes through the large lens, but of that which passes by it. To exclude this weak, unwelcome light, I knew well that it was useful to surround the lens, as I already did when observing the moon, with my paper ring. But while I was occupied with this, another more effective remedy, to add to the first, came to my mind, namely the coarctation, by the interposition of a perforated blade, of the pupil of the eye which otherwise is wide open in darkness. As soon as I experienced it, I distinctly saw the three lunulae of Saturn, while by moving aside the small aperture, I only saw the middle one, i.e. mine. However, as a specific star is less easily found with a pupil thus reduced than when it is wide open, I attached this perforated round strip, half an inch wide, by a small movable arm in the shape of a Greek Λ - it is indicated in the figure by the letterk-at the bottom of the small pipe through which we look at the ocular lens and which has a wider opening, so that it is possible to place the narrower opening in front of the other after the star has been found by means of the latter.

Aerial telescope description:

   I know well that in addition to other proposals tending to this goal, the one we present here, namely the use of lenses without a tube, came to the minds of other people many years ago; but I also know that they were only able to carry out this project through an overly complicated mechanism which until now has proven impractical. As for our construction, which we are going to explain, we have found it practically useful and we use it daily with great advantage.Here is what it consists of in an open place we plant a vertical mast. The one we first used had a length of fifty feet: it allowed the use of telescopes of 70 feet and more, although not for stars of any height, in which case it should have very nearly equaled the telescope in length. Before erecting the mast, one of its sides is flattened with a plane and two parallel rules are attached to it, spaced an inch and a half apart: these form a sort of channel quite wide from the end of the mast to 'at a place three feet from the ground. We also attach to the mast near the end a pulley over which passes a rope of a length twice that of the mast and of a thickness equal to half that of the little finger. To be able to climb the mast if necessary, triangular planks are nailed to it at equal distances. Paired in this way the mast is erected, the lower part, planted in the earth, having been coated with pitch and surrounded with sand to prevent rotting. It serves to raise the large lens of the telescope to the desired height; which is done as follows.

A two-foot slide is cut on one side in such a way that it can move freely into the channel we have spoken about. In its middle is attached a board of one foot perpendicular to the mast, at the end of which is fixed to in turn, also from the middle and at right angles, a second board of one and a half feet; like the first, it is horizontal. It is this crosspiece which carries the lens as we will explain in detail. The whole thing is pulled up by means of the aforementioned rope which is attached to both ends of the slide. Passing up over the pulley, then coming down, the rope, without touching the ground, has its two ends connected together.

Now, this rope also carries a weight of lead as heavy as the movable crosspiece with the lens placed on it. This weight is attached to the rope in such a place that it reaches the end of the mast when the lens is at the very bottom. The latter is therefore raised with great ease to the required height and remains there when the rope is released. The weight ends in a cone on both sides so as not to be hampered by the triangular planks that we said were nailed all along the mast. Now, here is how this large telescope lens is put in place and firmly attached. It is first enclosed in a ring or hollow cylinder four feet long and made of an iron blade. To this cylinder, or rather to a second cylinder in which the first is inserted, a rod a foot long and the thickness of a finger is attached to the outside following a generatrix; it only extends beyond the cylinder on one side. This assembly rests on a small copper globe the size of a hazelnut forming a body with the rod and rotating very freely in a hollow spherical segment placed under it in which it is half enclosed without being able to escape. This segment is made up of two parts which, above a cylindrical foot, are held together and can be tightened by a screw, but without exerting any pressure on the small globe. In this way the lens with the rod attached to it is made mobile. And so that it is in indifferent balance a weight of about a pound is suspended below the rod; it is attached to it in an invariable situation by a fairly large copper wire half a foot long. We can easily- by a suitable curvature of this wire arrange things in such a way that the common center of gravity of the lens and of the weight coincides with that of the small globe and that thus the lens remains at rest in any situation and can be put into action. movement by the slightest touch. This is what the main part of the invention consists of In fact, the foot of the small globe having been placed in an opening which is located in the aforementioned transverse arm (but two or more openings are made there so that the lens can easily be directed towards all the areas of the sky), a wire , or a very fine cord, is attached to the rod or tail, which is intended to join the large lens with that which is close to the eye and therefore has the length of the telescope or rather is somewhat greater than it: when the lens has been hoisted, the wire, in whatever way the hand pulls it, slowly and without any effort, will communicate the movement to it in turn and will direct it in this way towards an arbitrarily chosen star. Which certainly would not be possible without this indifferent balance. It must also be observed that so that the tail or rod which we have attached to the lens becomes parallel to the stretched wire, which is absolutely necessary, we fix at its lower extremity a copper stylus the length of a finger which we bend downwards until its tip is located below the penis as much as the center of the small globe; then only the thread we talked about is attached to it. We will say later why we use a flexible stylus on this occasion. It is now a matter of explaining how the ocular lens is placed in relation to the other, which does not require many words since the arrangement is approximately the same as for the large lens. Indeed, the ocular lens is also enclosed in a short pipe or cylinder; it is also attached to a rod or tail which also has its small globe on which it rests. It is true that instead of the latter we can use a small transverse axis here. Below the penis a small weight of suitable size is again attached for balance. 

The observer takes in hand a handle fitted with a small globe or axis. The rod is directed towards the large lens placed at the top, this rod being connected to the same wire as the other from which it descends. It is obvious that as soon as you put your hand there and tighten the thread a little, the lenses become parallel to each other. However, the thread is not attached in the same way to the end of this rod as it was to the upper rod which governs the large lens: it passes through an opening and is then wound on a peg such as those by means of which the strings of lutes are stretched and which is located in the middle of the rod on one of its sides. By rotating this pin, during observation, the wire can be lengthened or shortened until the interval between the two lenses is exactly adapted to the observer's eye, this interval having first been taken at about the right length which is very easy.

In addition, so that the observer can hold the eyepiece still, which is essential, he has a support of light material resting on two feet and carrying at its upper end a board or transverse stick on which, standing or seated, he can support both arms, while holding the lens with one hand as we have said. This method is much more expeditious and practical than when the support has a third leg and the ocular lens is placed on it.

Now, to easily find specific stars at night and in the darkness with our telescope, we use a lantern, such as they are universally known today, which projects its light far away by means of a convex glass or a mirror. By directing its rays on the mast and on the lens attached to it, we can easily, as soon as the cylinder which surrounds it is seen, give the visual ray a direction such that the star is covered by the central part of the lens and after having also placed the small lens in position, we see it through both. This is done much more quickly than previously possible with pipe telescopes, so that this new way of observing is also much preferable. But when you want to look at the moon, there is no need for a lantern, since the large lens can be seen in the light of the moon itself. For this observation it is surrounded by a crown of paper whose external diameter is a little more than double that of a circle which would exactly cover the moon, this because of the amplitude of the lunar disk, so that when If we contemplate a part of it, no other part can send to the eye rays that have not passed through the lens. Without this precaution the shadows and lines darker than the rest that we see in the moon would appear too little black.

At the bottom we have completely explained how to use our aerial telescope and
its not at all complicated construction.


ab    is the mast.

CD    the movable slide in the channel. the arm

e        attached to it at right angles. the crosspiece

ff        which carries the lens.

gg       the endless rope.

h         the lead attached to the rope. the   

has     pulley at the top of the mast.  

i        the hollow cylinder containing the main lens.

kl       the rod attached to the cylinder.

m       the small copper globe forming a body with the rod and able to rotate in the
spherical segment.

not      
the lead weight tied with a copper sil.  

L         the short, flexible stylus attached to the end of the rod
                  
o       the small pipe carrying the minor or ocular lens.
         
p        the rod attached to this little pipe. a

Q        small movable axis.



Huygens aerial telescope



One the most exciting feature that may be appreciated in regard to very long-focus singlet lenses is that they are very insensitive to collimation, since the lenses are practically plane-parallel plates.  And so, for example, Cassini at the Paris Observatory in the 1680s mounted a 200-foot fl objective on a high tower (Tour de Marly).  It seems that the image scale was so large that several observers could observe different parts of the Moon at the same time, holding eyepieces by hand, has seen in the illustrations of that time. The objective didn't have to follow the Moon very well even equipped with a mechanism to track the objects with a help of an assistant, the observers could just shift their eyepieces side to side for just a while. Of course, this only works well for a bright object and you have to screen the background sky, as Huygens also found with his aerial telescopes.

Huygens had a problem with the wire, because of the increasing length the wire will bend under its own weight, so the alignment will not be precise, but at these lengths you can't feel any chance in the eyepiece. Cassini in other hand did not implemented the wire solution so the alignment was done simply by the positioning of the observer in relation to the objective lens.


But we can also confirm more fully by geometric reasoning, as well as by experiments, what relates to the curvature of the wire. Slightly curved, the stretched wire has so nearly the shape of a parabola that we can admit that it really is so without any error. When our wire, one hundred and fifty feet long, is stretched horizontally with a force of only two and a half pounds, we find that the sag of the parabolic arc is about a quarter of a foot. Either the parabolic wire, the arrow, being a straight line. May the rights and see touch the parabola, which are cut by this and af parallel to. We observed, looking from the point has following the right a, that the magnitude of the line This was one foot, from which results for that of a quarter of a foot. This. Thre herefore draws a lens placed in such a way that it is at right angles not to the straight line coming from the eye which is in has, but compared to that which starts from the point. The result is that the eye is moved a foot from its true location; which in this distance of 150 feet cannot harm. In fact, the angle of deflection is only two-fifths of a degree, so that no remedy - we will nevertheless indicate one - is necessary. However, if we take a distanceghdouble that previously considered, namely three hundred feet, so that the curved wire is, the measurement of concavity will be equal to four times that of the previous one, but the deflection angle will only be double of one degree, as can be easily seen by drawing the tangent which meets the perpendicular. Indeed, this will be quadruple.   This, but the distance as double this is why the deflection angle can be considered as twice the angle previously found.
This 48 second error is still of no importance; it can be neglected without inconvenience. However, so that there is no reason left for discussion, I will show what correction can be made, which at the same time remedies any other variation of the lens.

Using my the 5.5m long aerial telescope without wire connected to  the eyepiece the observations seems very easy but the only thing the observer must do in these case is to get up and position the lens so that you can follow the object in the night sky every time it left the objective filed of view.
By today's standard's these observing methods are out of use but there's a huge satisfaction when you se the moon so close and very clear with no aberrations through the lens situated 5.5m away, it's almost magical experience.
My method of observing its similar to Cassini with the objective lens mounted on a mast, tower, building, other kinds of mounting systems that are movable
At Paris Observatory with a 200 foot lens mounted on the Marly tower the objective mount had a system to track the object in the night sky, of course these was not possible without the help from an assistant situated on the Marly tower.
The Cassini method if by far the most easy to use in comparison to Huygens design.
With my homemade system it's very easy to center the object in the objective lens and find it with the eyepiece in one hand.
 The most pleasing observation in my case is without eyepiece only with my myopic eyes -4.5 and -5 the image of the moon its enlarged greatly in comparison with a person that has normal eye sight.
This gives me the advantage of observing fine details om the lunar surface up to 50x using the 5.5m long focus lens 64mm diameter.
By applying a eyepiece 40mm or 32mm plossl the quality of the details increased but the contrast it's lower with eyepieces in comparison with naked eye observation through the lens.
The image is so clear and crisp like a Newtonian but with a very small filed of view, without the eyepiece just with my eyes.

My Aerial telescope objective mount

 In my case those tables do the job and with the 5.5m long scope i can reach a height of about 47 degrades on all 4 tables + a hub for stability. This endeavor its amazing and using the long 5.5m brings to my knowledge how difficult those instruments in the late 17th century for astronomers, but practicing with the 5.5m one in time it became very easy to use, i can find the moon with the eyepiece in my hand very fast couple of seconds. It all comes down to practice over time you become very familiar with this style of observation. And this is the case with very long focus telescopes without tubes as well.
In the observational journals from Paris Observatory there is plenty of pages with observation through aerial telescope many, many pages, those guys where not kidding. These instruments were forged to the maximum during that period every clear night the same can be said with tube telescopes. In time these wooden tubes deteriorated because of very frequent observations until there where no longer used, the same in the case of Aerial telescopes, the mast also the support of the lens are no longer with us.
Only parts of aerial telescopes remain the lens cell, eyepiece body and holder had survived.


Huygens aerial telescope original parts, on the left the eyepiece holder, and right the objective lens cell.



Drawings and Journals of Observations at Paris Observatory through aerial telescopes


1 l'Observatoire royal de Paris, 1er janvier 1682 — 17 avril 1683




2 l'Observatoire de Paris 21 septembre 1683 - 6 juin 1684







1. Lunette 100 pieds = refractor 32m long ( objective 17cm mounted on the roof of the observatory).

3. 
l'Observatoire de Paris e D32A  6 juin 1684 - 3 mai 1685; D32B  3 mars 1685
















1. Lunette 100 pieds = refractor 32m long ( objective mounted on the roof of the observatory).
2. Lunete 136 peids = 44m long ( objective 200mm mounted on the Marly Tower)
3. Lunete de 34 pieds = 11m long ( refractor 81mm diameter mounted in tube - the telescope that discovered the Cassini division.


 4.l'Observatoire de Paris  1er juin 1685 - 31 décembre 1685



 

1. Lunete de 34 pieds = 11m long ( refractor mounted in tube - the telescope that discovered the Cassini division.
2. Lunete 136 peids = 44m long ( objective 20cm mounted on the Marly Tower)

5 l'Observatoire de Paris  1er janvier 1686 - 30 avril 1686








 

Lunete 136 peids = 44m long ( objective 20cm mounted on the Marly Tower)

6 l'Observatoire de Paris  1er novembre 1689 - 27 septembre 1690













1. Lunete de 150 pieds = 48.7m long ( Objective 24cm mounted on the Marly Tower).
2. Lunete de 34 pieds = 11m long ( refractor mounted in tube - the telescope that discovered the Cassini.
3. Lunete 136 peids = 44m long ( objective mounted on the Marly Tower).


7. l'Observatoire de Paris 21 septembre 1690 - 10 janvier 1692












1. Lunete de 150 pieds = 48.7m long ( Objective 24cm mounted on the Marly Tower).

8. l'Observatoire de Paris 1er janvier 1692 - 26 août 1693







1. Lunete de 150 pieds = 48.7m long ( Objective 24cm mounted on the Marly Tower),
2. Lunette 100 pieds = refractor 32m long ( objective 17cm mounted on the roof of the observatory).

9. l'Observatoire de Paris 26 mai 1699 - 15 août 1700























Lunete de 45 pieds = 14,6m long.


Bibliografie:

https://astrojm.wixsite.com/blog/page-17e

http://uranialigustica.altervista.org/cassini/secondarie/savorgnan.htm

http://www.sisfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/383-397TinazziBari.pdf

https://air.unimi.it/handle/2434/898016

https://bibnum.obspm.fr/up-manuscrits-corresp

Comentarii

Postări populare de pe acest blog

Building a giant aerial telescope and first observations

Giuseppe Campani telescope and lens maker