2003/06/01 by Gilbert E Satterthwaite · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #History and Developments in Astronomy #History of Science and Medicine #History of Science and Natural History #Optics #Physics #Sky #Zenith
paper · pdf · doi:10.3724/sp.j.1440-2807.2003.01.02
openalex publication_date 2003/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
When Sir George Airy (1801-91) became the seventh Astronomer Royal in 1835, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich already had a long history of zenith observations for monitoring aberration and nutation, and providing a zenith-point for the meridional instruments. Continuing this programme, Airy designed two very successful instruments. His Reflex Zenith Tube succeeded where earlier instruments had failed, and his reflex principle was developed to provide the most successful zenith instruments over more than a century. His zenithal Water Telescope, developed for a specific experiment, was equally successful. The design and construction, operating procedures, and programmes carried out with these instruments are described.