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Re: Troughton circle in Dresden
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2005 May 24, 12:59 -0500
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2005 May 24, 12:59 -0500
George, On Tue, 24 May 2005, George Huxtable wrote: > There's a superb Troughton circle, on the lines I have described, and > mounted adjustably on a pillar, at the History of Science museum in Oxford. > I think such pillar-sextants must have been intended for precise > measurement of lunar distance by a land-based observer. I forgot to mention that the circle I saw in Dresden was also mounted on a pillar. (I was not permitted to handle the instrument:-( of course:-) but my impression was that it should be too heavy for observations "from hand". However it had the usual U-shaped handle of most reflecting circles. (I recall, the diameter of the circle was 1.5 ft, and it was entirely made of solid bronze or brass). I recently had an opportunity to try the brass sextants of Fred (CP and a small Husun/Mate). I found them extremelly heavy:-) My hand was tired. And Fred said he liked my aluminium SNO-T, because of its lightness. A