Hadley's Gregorian reflecting telescope, c.1740
- maker:
- John Hadley
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LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence
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LicenseGregorian reflecting telescope
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Brass plate on the first Gregorian reflecting telescope which
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The first Gregorian reflecting telescope which was made by John
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The first Gregorian reflecting telescope which was made by John
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The first Gregorian reflecting telescope which was made by John
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The first Gregorian reflecting telescope which was made by John
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The first Gregorian reflecting telescope which was made by John
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The first Gregorian reflecting telescope which was made by John
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The first Gregorian reflecting telescope which was made by John
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The first Gregorian reflecting telescope which was made by John
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Gregorian reflecting telescope, said to have made by John Hadley in 1726, although stylistic features would suggest a later date of c.1740. The telescope has a 2-inch metal speculum mirror with a focal length of 14 inches and a sharkskin covered brass tube with metal case.
Dated 1724, this telescope has been described as the earliest example of a reflecting telescope using the Gregorian optical configuration. The Scottish mathematician, James Gregory first suggested this optical layout in 1663. Yet he was unable to have it made due the difficulty of making mirrors with non-spherical surfaces. Over fifty years later, Hadley succeeded where Gregory failed, after making a reflecting telescope using Isaac Newton's principles in 1721. He presented his Newtonian Telescope to the Royal Society of London who found it performed favourable with the best of telescopes then available. Although having remained in the Hadley family until the nineteenth century, it seems likely, from style and design, that this Gregorian telescope was made later around 1740.
Details
- Category:
- Astronomy
- Object Number:
- 1937-601
- Materials:
- complete, brass (copper, zinc alloy), fishskin, speculum (alloy of copper and tin) and glass
- Measurements:
-
overall: 80 x 80 x 370 mm
- type:
- telescope - gregorian and telescope - reflecting
- credit:
- Cambridge Observatory
Parts
