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SpeedyPhill
·With these anniversaries coming up, looking for some "astrononomical" information...
The (amateur-) astronomer forum-members know everything about the meridian passage (transit) of a star measured with a transit circle telescope.
Important to check the accuracy of clocks. We all heard the story of how English watchmaker John Arnold (1736-1799) and his son used the chimney of the neighbour to check the 3 minutes 56 seconds sidereal day difference in order to use the clockwork of the heavens...
Many forum-members know I have been documenting telescopes & scientific instruments of over 200 astronomical observatories in 33 countries.
The observatory dome logo on the caseback of the Omega Constellation always intrigued me and of course I know about the present at many observatories as astronomical observatories mostly have a basic lay-out possessing a huge 4-meter class Schmidtt or Cassegrain type reflector besides a 2.5-meter class Ritchey-Chrétien or Nasmyth-Coudé type reflector with multiple scientific instruments (spectrographs, polarimeter, CCD-photography, etc...).
Nowadays, observatories are located at high & dry locations but in the early 19th and even 20th century these were often located near cities.
So was the Geneva observatory (observatoire de Genève) located in the southern old town, with promenade de l'observatoire being an old reminder of its historic location. 60 years ago, due to increasing light pollution the observatory was moved out of the town 15 kilometers to the North near Chavannes-des-Bois.
☕
Long story short, I believe the observatory dome logo on the caseback of the Omega Constellation was based on one of the domes of the historic observatoire de Genève. However, my collection of books & postcards doesn't show these domes in full detail...
Can any Swiss members help ?
.
.
.
Old Geneva observatory ( not to be confused with the Yerkes observatory near Lake Geneva in Williams Bay Wisconsin USA... as done by some YouTubers)
Note the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre Genève about 300 meters to the West of the old town Geneva observatory...
.
The (amateur-) astronomer forum-members know everything about the meridian passage (transit) of a star measured with a transit circle telescope.
Important to check the accuracy of clocks. We all heard the story of how English watchmaker John Arnold (1736-1799) and his son used the chimney of the neighbour to check the 3 minutes 56 seconds sidereal day difference in order to use the clockwork of the heavens...
Many forum-members know I have been documenting telescopes & scientific instruments of over 200 astronomical observatories in 33 countries.
The observatory dome logo on the caseback of the Omega Constellation always intrigued me and of course I know about the present at many observatories as astronomical observatories mostly have a basic lay-out possessing a huge 4-meter class Schmidtt or Cassegrain type reflector besides a 2.5-meter class Ritchey-Chrétien or Nasmyth-Coudé type reflector with multiple scientific instruments (spectrographs, polarimeter, CCD-photography, etc...).
Nowadays, observatories are located at high & dry locations but in the early 19th and even 20th century these were often located near cities.
So was the Geneva observatory (observatoire de Genève) located in the southern old town, with promenade de l'observatoire being an old reminder of its historic location. 60 years ago, due to increasing light pollution the observatory was moved out of the town 15 kilometers to the North near Chavannes-des-Bois.
☕
Long story short, I believe the observatory dome logo on the caseback of the Omega Constellation was based on one of the domes of the historic observatoire de Genève. However, my collection of books & postcards doesn't show these domes in full detail...
Can any Swiss members help ?
.
Old Geneva observatory ( not to be confused with the Yerkes observatory near Lake Geneva in Williams Bay Wisconsin USA... as done by some YouTubers)
Note the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre Genève about 300 meters to the West of the old town Geneva observatory...
.
