Description

COUCH ADAMS, John; GRAHAM, Andrew [University of Cambridge Observatory], a small archive of original manuscript observations from the University of Cambridge Observatory, 1866-1867

Various paginations; three sets of observations

Very good condition, with only minor age-toning to the paper

Including observations of stellar occultation, the diameter of the Sun and Jupiter, and the position of various planets, notably including Neptune, of which Adams was co-discover in 1846. Another set of observations of a comet uses the famous Northumberland Equatorial telescope, which is still installed at the Observatory, and was at the time of its construction one of the largest refracting telescopes in the world, with lenses constructed by the French optician Robert-Aglaé Cauchoix.

These observations were largely made under Adams’ direction by the Irish astronomer Andrew Graham, and formed part of the Cambridge Zone Catalogue, itself a small part of the monumental catalogue of stars (Astronomische Gesellschaft Katalog), the third part of which was published as recently as 1975.