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ART. 204 - Astronomical Photography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2011

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Summary

The announcement (Nature, August 10) that it is in contemplation to raise a sum exceeding £2000 for the establishment of a special photographic telescope at the Cambridge Observatory, leads me to ask whether astronomers have duly considered the facilities afforded by modern photography. At the time of my early experience of the art, thirty-five years ago, it would have been thought a great feat to photograph the Fraunhofer lines in the yellow or red regions of the spectrum, although even then the statement so commonly made that chemical activity was limited to the blue and ultrablue rays was quite unwarranted. With the earlier photographic processes the distinction was necessary between telescopes to be used with the eye or for photography. In the former case the focal length had to be a minimum for the yellow rays, in the latter for the blue rays of the spectrum.

But the situation is entirely changed. There is now no difficulty in preparing plates sensitive to all parts of the spectrum, witness the beautiful photographs of Rowland and Higgs. I have myself used “Orthochromatic” plates in experiments where it was desirable to work with the same rays as most influence the eye. The interference bands of sodium light may be photographed with the utmost facility on plates sensitised in a bath containing cyanin.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009
First published in: 1903

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