The wonders of the Aerial telescopes
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 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.
A Brief History and explanation about Aerial telescopes
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.
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.
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.
The 70 feet telescope on a “three-sided tube mount system |
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 |
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.
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 |
«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 |
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
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
Paris Observatory and Marly tower illustration 17th century |
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
not the lead weight tied with a copper sil.
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.
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
My Aerial telescope objective mount |
Huygens aerial telescope original parts, on the left the eyepiece holder, and right the objective lens cell. |
3. l'Observatoire de Paris e D32A 6 juin 1684 - 3 mai 1685; D32B 3 mars 1685
5 l'Observatoire de Paris 1er janvier 1686 - 30 avril 1686
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
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