From Stonehenge to Keck: Architecture and Astronomy
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Transcript of From Stonehenge to Keck: Architecture and Astronomy
From Stonehenge to Keck:From Stonehenge to Keck:Architecture and Architecture and AstronomyAstronomy
C. G. De PreeC. G. De Pree
RARE CATSRARE CATS
Green Bank, WVGreen Bank, WV
June 2002June 2002
QuestionsQuestions
Why have societies observed the Why have societies observed the heavens since ancient times?heavens since ancient times?
What sort of structures have been What sort of structures have been associated with observing the sky?associated with observing the sky?
How have these structures How have these structures changed with time?changed with time?
OverviewOverview
Ancient ObservatoriesAncient Observatories 16th and 17th Century 16th and 17th Century
ObservatoriesObservatories Early Modern (19th century) Early Modern (19th century)
ObservatoriesObservatories Modern ObservatoriesModern Observatories
Ancient ObservatoriesAncient Observatories
Stonehenge/NewgrangeStonehenge/Newgrange Chichen Itza, Caracol TowerChichen Itza, Caracol Tower LocationsLocations
– Horizon lineHorizon line UsesUses
– ReligiousReligious– TimekeepingTimekeeping– CeremonialCeremonial
Newgrange (3200 BCE)Newgrange (3200 BCE)
Aligned to winter solstice (light Aligned to winter solstice (light interior)interior)
One of thousands of sites in One of thousands of sites in EuropeEurope– StonehengeStonehenge
Caracol (Snail) TowerCaracol (Snail) Tower
Location: Chichen Itza, Northern Location: Chichen Itza, Northern YucatanYucatan
Period: Mayan, c. 1000 ADPeriod: Mayan, c. 1000 AD Interior: 16.7 m-diameter tower with Interior: 16.7 m-diameter tower with
spiral staircase and four doorways spiral staircase and four doorways aligned with cardinal directionsaligned with cardinal directions
Upper room: 7 openings aligned with Upper room: 7 openings aligned with the equinoxes and the S transit of the equinoxes and the S transit of Venus Venus
Caracol Tower at Chichen ItzaCaracol Tower at Chichen Itza
Caracol TowerCaracol Tower
Astronomical function: solstice and Astronomical function: solstice and equinox alignments, some star equinox alignments, some star alignmentsalignments
Religious function: apparent Religious function: apparent alignments with Venus alignments with Venus – Mayan tablets mention the rising of Mayan tablets mention the rising of
VenusVenus
– Worship of the wind god EhecatlWorship of the wind god Ehecatl
16th to 18th Century 16th to 18th Century ObservatoriesObservatories
Uraniborg/Stjarneborg (Tycho Uraniborg/Stjarneborg (Tycho Brahe)Brahe)
L’Observatoire de ParisL’Observatoire de Paris– Louis XIVLouis XIV
Royal Greenwich Observatory Royal Greenwich Observatory – Flamsteed, Astronomer RoyalFlamsteed, Astronomer Royal
Uraniborg CastleUraniborg Castle
Location: Island of Hven Location: Island of Hven Date: 1576-1580 (pre-telescope)Date: 1576-1580 (pre-telescope) Complex included: castle, observatory, Complex included: castle, observatory,
papermill, earthworks, dams and pondspapermill, earthworks, dams and ponds Subsidized by Danish State (~1% of Subsidized by Danish State (~1% of
national budget)national budget) Purpose: determine accurate planetary Purpose: determine accurate planetary
positionspositions
Uraniborg: Grounds and Uraniborg: Grounds and InteriorInterior
Castle too smallCastle too small Mounts unstableMounts unstable
Stjarneborg ObservatoryStjarneborg Observatory
Funded by Danish king Frederick IIFunded by Danish king Frederick II Lost funding under Christian IV Lost funding under Christian IV
(1596) (1596) Brahe came under patronage of Brahe came under patronage of
the German emperor Rudolf II the German emperor Rudolf II Relocated to Observatory near Relocated to Observatory near
Prague (1599) Prague (1599)
Paris ObservatoryParis Observatory
Louis XIV funds `l'Observatoire Royal’ Architect: Claude Perrault (ded. 1672) Oriented with the cardinal points of
the compass (in 1667) Paris latitude: Latitude of the south
face Paris longitude: Meridian line passing
through building center
Paris Observatory--Paris Observatory--Planned UsesPlanned Uses
Offices for astronomers/academics Lecture hall and laboratories Instruments dedicated to the
astronomical observations
Old Greenwich Royal Old Greenwich Royal ObservatoryObservatory
Location: Greenwich, EnglandLocation: Greenwich, England Founded: 22 June, 1675 by King Founded: 22 June, 1675 by King
Charles IICharles II Primary purpose: To solve the Primary purpose: To solve the
problem of finding longitude problem of finding longitude John Flamsteed, Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed, Astronomer Royal Observatory added functions over Observatory added functions over
timetime
17-18th Century Interiors17-18th Century InteriorsObserving/Reception RoomObserving/Reception Room
Flamsteed ApartmentFlamsteed Apartment
Meridian BuildingMeridian Building
Houses a ten-foot transit instrument, Houses a ten-foot transit instrument, installed in 1816 installed in 1816
Bradley's original transit instrument is Bradley's original transit instrument is shownshown
Airy Transit CircleAiry Transit Circle
Sir George Biddell Airy (7th Astronomer Sir George Biddell Airy (7th Astronomer Royal) designed a transit instrument, Royal) designed a transit instrument, installed in 1850installed in 1850
Transit circle: special type of telescope Transit circle: special type of telescope moves in a vertical circlemoves in a vertical circle
Transit circles used to accurately Transit circles used to accurately measure stellar positionsmeasure stellar positions
Altazimuth PavilionAltazimuth Pavilion
The Altazimuth Pavilion (1899) Named after the altaz telescope
originally installed in its dome Dome now contains a 'photoheliograph’
(solar projection) Weather vane over the dome represents
Halley's Comet as seen in the Bayeux tapestry
The South BuildingThe South Building
Originally called the New Physical Building (1899)
Astronomer Royal, William Christie (architect William Crisp)
4 wings housed branches: magnetic and meteorological, astro-photography, time, and library
The dome originally accommodated a 30-inch (76.2 cm) reflecting telescope
Jantar MantarJantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar: five observatories Jantar Mantar: five observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh IIbuilt by Sawai Jai Singh II
Locations: New Delhi, Jaipur, Locations: New Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura. Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura.
Built AD 1724–1730Built AD 1724–1730
Samrat Yantra (Gnomon)Samrat Yantra (Gnomon)
Gnomon 90 feet high, points toward Gnomon 90 feet high, points toward PolarisPolaris
Used to find time and declination and Used to find time and declination and hour angle of stars and planetshour angle of stars and planets
Either side of the gnomon is a Either side of the gnomon is a masonry quadrantmasonry quadrant– to read timeto read time
– steps providedsteps provided
Early Modern Early Modern Observatories (19th C)Observatories (19th C)
More remote locations (outside More remote locations (outside cities)cities)
Still show integration of observing Still show integration of observing structure, teaching space and structure, teaching space and research spaceresearch space
e.g. Yerkes Observatory, University e.g. Yerkes Observatory, University of Chicago (1897)of Chicago (1897)
YerkesYerkes
Architect: Henry Ives Cobb Funded: Charles Yerkes (Chicago
streetcars) Astronmer: George Ellery Hale (U.
Chicago) Exterior: Animals, signs of the Zodiac,
phases of the Moon Architecture and technology of late 19th
century, 77-acre site
1893 Columbian Exposition in
Chicago/Installation
Yerkes: 40 in Refractor
Yerkes: Architectural Yerkes: Architectural DetailDetail
Modern ObservatoriesModern Observatories
Separation between observing Separation between observing structure and office/research structure and office/research structurestructure– Mt Wilson Telescopes/Cal TechMt Wilson Telescopes/Cal Tech– Keck I and Keck II/Waimea Keck I and Keck II/Waimea
headquarters/Cal Techheadquarters/Cal Tech– Very Large Array/Array Operations Very Large Array/Array Operations
Center/NRAOCenter/NRAO– HST/NGST/NASA/STScIHST/NGST/NASA/STScI
Palomar ObservatoryPalomar Observatory
George Ellery Hale (Yerkes)George Ellery Hale (Yerkes) Grants from Carnegie Institution of Grants from Carnegie Institution of
WashingtonWashington Mount Wilson 60-inch reflector first Mount Wilson 60-inch reflector first
completed (1908)completed (1908) Harlow Shapley measures the size of Harlow Shapley measures the size of
the MW and our position in it the MW and our position in it 1928, $6 million grant from Rockefeller1928, $6 million grant from Rockefeller
Mt. Wilson 100-in & 200-in Mt. Wilson 100-in & 200-in telescopestelescopes
Keck HeadquartersKeck Headquarters
Located in Waimea Telescopes are 48 miles from HQ Most employees work at
headquarters 20-25 technicians and engineers
commute daily to summit Annual budget $11 million
Keck TelescopeKeck Telescope
Keck Control RoomKeck Control Room
Very Large ArrayVery Large Array
VLA (view looking South)VLA (view looking South)
Orbiting ObservatoriesOrbiting Observatories
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Next Generation Space Telescope Next Generation Space Telescope
(NGST)(NGST) Space Telescope Science Institute Space Telescope Science Institute
(STScI)(STScI)
ReflectionsReflections
Astronomical architecture has evolved Astronomical architecture has evolved along with astronomical technologyalong with astronomical technology
Telescopes and the structures that house Telescopes and the structures that house them are becoming more and more them are becoming more and more remote from most peopleremote from most people
From earliest times, there are alignments From earliest times, there are alignments with cardinal points with cardinal points
Growing separation between instruments Growing separation between instruments and observersand observers