Author: James Challis

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2015-06-16

Total Pages: 446

ISBN-13: 9781330118047

Excerpt from Lectures on Practical Astronomy and Astronomical Instruments I began in the year 1843 a Course of Lectures on Practical Astronomy and Astronomical Instruments, having been at that time seven years Director of the Cambridge Observatory. Lectures on these subjects had already been given by Dr Peacock as Lowndean Professor, which he discontinued on the understanding that I would undertake to carry them on. The circumstances that an Astronomical Observatory so well appointed as that of Cambridge was near at hand, and was provided with various instruments of first-rate quality, appeared to me to give facilities for lecturing on Practical Astronomy which ought to be taken advantage of; and accordingly I commenced lecturing in the above-named year, having previously produced a 'Syllabus' of the subjects of the lectures, and procured a considerable number of wooden models, which, together with some apparatus that had been collected by Professor Peacock, I made use of in conducting and illustrating the Lectures. I had also the advantage of having at command several portable instruments pertaining to the Observatory. At the end of the Syllabus a list of formulæ applicable to the reduction of astronomical observations was introduced, accompanied by brief demonstrations. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.