History of Astronomy Group – ‘Instrumental Engineering in the Time of Sir George Biddell Airy’ by Bill Barton

This presentation details five major U.K. astronomical instruments of the nineteenth century. It will focus not just on the mechanics, but also on the people, known and not so well known, who designed, built and operated them.

An appreciation of the engineering challenges encountered will be given along with the sometimes novel use of ‘crossover’ technology. By way of conclusion an intriguing event involving one of the characters is included.

Speaker Biography

Bill Barton is a founding member of the Society of the History of Astronomy and a standing member of the Royal Astronomical Society and a number of other Astronomy society. He recently published his research on Alice Grace Cook in January 2019.