Telescope erected in Gresham College, with several associated devices
Date
17th century
Creator
Robert Hooke (1635 - 1703, British) , Natural philosopher
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p11
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 190mm
width (page): 294mm
width (page): 294mm
Subject
Description
Robert Hooke's drawing of a 36-foot telescope erected in the quadrangle of Gresham College, London. The drawing includes partial sketches of the College buildings. Dotted lines indicate the sections of an upright pole and supports that had been buried underground. Separate figures show a 'rete' or net of cross-hairs designed by Christopher Wren, intended to enable accurate drawings to be made of the objects observed (fig. 3); the bending of the horizontal and vertical lines of the net caused by the lens (fig. 4); a rest for the eyepiece end of the telescope (fig. 2); and an apparatus designed by Wren to enable accurate measurements to be made (fig. 5). The detail of the top of the pole shows a wind-vane pennant surmounted by Wren's model of Saturn as he envisaged the planet, which could be viewed from a number of angles to confirm his theory.
Related fellows
Associated place