1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
- Ben Cartwright SASS
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1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
The telescope that sits atop the silo-like structure at Seagrave Memorial Observatory is the pride and joy of the Skyscrapers organization. It is a refractor with a lens 8 ¼ - inches in diameter and a focal length of 105 inches, providing an f-ratio of about 13. The Clark telescope was purchased by Skyscrapers in November 1936 from the estate of Walter F. Angell, a cousin of Frank Evens Seagrave who had bequeathed it to him in August 1934. Though this antique telescope was refurbished in 2003, the quality of the images provided by the refractive glass elements in the front of the tube has never wavered.
In fact, while Skyscrapers history with the instrument goes back to 1936, it is indeed much older than that. You see, in 1878, a young man from Providence, Frank Evens Seagrave, received this Clark telescope for his 16th birthday present. (Frank turned 16 years old in 1876. However, it took two years for the scope to be built and delivered.) At his father’s residence at 119 Benefit Street they built the first Seagrave observatory (also a silo-like structure) to house the telescope.
There it stayed, collecting the light of the Moon, the planets, comets, asteroids and variable stars until coal dust and gas lamps lighting the city streets started to affect Frank’s observations. He looked around New England and finally settled upon 47 Peeptoad Road in North Scituate, where he built our Seagrave Memorial Observatory and moved his beautiful Alvan Clark to in 1914.
And the rest, they say, is history.
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Re: 1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
There is a similar Alvan Clark telescope at Amherst College, not as clean and well kept, but still in use until Covid started. It was built in 1903 and I believe it is an 18 inch design.
- Michael131313
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Re: 1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
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Re: 1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
Don't recall the year it was built, but some elderly lady in Charleston, SC gave it to us
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Re: 1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #59
Free advice is seldom cheap
"Sometimes having is not so pleasing as wanting, it's not logical but it is true"
Commander Spock
Canon DSLR's R7, R6II, 5D, 7D2, 90D 21 lenses incl. 100-400L mk ii, 70-200L mk iii f/2.8, RF600/11
Lunt LS50 DS, LS80 DS, Lunt 102ED, Stellarvue SV80 APO, Orion ST80, 127 MAK, Skywatcher Evostar 120ED, 102 MAK, Celestron 8" Edge HD, 102AZ
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ZWO ASI071MC-cool, ASI174mm, ASI174mm-cool, ASI178MC-cool, ASI290 mini, ASI120MM-S, ASI120MC Revolution Player One mm (178 chip)
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Re: 1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
Thank you for the history Jeff
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Re: 1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
- Ben Cartwright SASS
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Re: 1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #59
Free advice is seldom cheap
"Sometimes having is not so pleasing as wanting, it's not logical but it is true"
Commander Spock
Canon DSLR's R7, R6II, 5D, 7D2, 90D 21 lenses incl. 100-400L mk ii, 70-200L mk iii f/2.8, RF600/11
Lunt LS50 DS, LS80 DS, Lunt 102ED, Stellarvue SV80 APO, Orion ST80, 127 MAK, Skywatcher Evostar 120ED, 102 MAK, Celestron 8" Edge HD, 102AZ
Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
ZWO ASI071MC-cool, ASI174mm, ASI174mm-cool, ASI178MC-cool, ASI290 mini, ASI120MM-S, ASI120MC Revolution Player One mm (178 chip)
- Arctic
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Re: 1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
I suspect that the vast majority of those old, Clark refractors are located in places that are pretty light polluted. But because they are best suited for planetary and double star observations, they are still useful--especially for public outreach.
Scopes: Meade LX10 8" SCT, Explore Scientific AR102 Refractor on ES Twilight 1 Mount, Oberwerks 15X70 Binos, Nikon Action Extreme 10X50 Binos.
Eyepieces: ES 68* 24mm, ES 68* 20mm, ES 82* 11mm, ES 82* 8.8mm
Observing: Messier Objects--110/110, H1 Objects-- 400/400. Hundreds of additional NGC Objects. Significant Comets: Kohoutek, West, Halley, Hyakatake, Hale-Bopp, McNair, Neowise. Transits of Mercury and Venus.
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Re: 1878 Alvan Clark 8" refractor
Definitely true aboutArctic wrote: ↑Thu Sep 30, 2021 1:26 pm Imagine getting that scope for your 16th birthday! Haha
I suspect that the vast majority of those old, Clark refractors are located in places that are pretty light polluted. But because they are best suited for planetary and double star observations, they are still useful--especially for public outreach.
.
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
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