SSouthernouthern SStarstars TTHEHE JJOURNALOURNAL OOFF TTHEHE RROYALOYAL AASTRONOMICALSTRONOMICAL SSOCIETYOCIETY OOFF NNEWEW ZZEALANDEALAND

Volume 55, No 4 2016 December ISSN Page0049-1640 1 Royal Astronomical Society Southern Stars of New Zealand (Inc.) Journal of the RASNZ Founded in 1920 as the New Zealand Astronomical Volume 55, Number 4 Society and assumed its present title on receiving the 2016 December Royal Charter in 1946. In 1967 it became a member body of the R oyal Society of New Zealand. P O Box 3181, Wellington 6140, New Zealand [email protected] http://www.rasnz.org.nz CONTENTS Subscriptions (NZ$) for 2017: A 6” Nankivell Refractor Ordinary member: $40.00 Peter Knowles ...... 3 Student member: $20.00 Affi liated society: $3.75 per member. The Multiple Periods of L2 Puppis Minimum $75.00, Maximum $375.00 Stan Walker, Neil Butterworth, Terry Bohlsen, Corporate member: $200.00 Giorgio di Scala, Peter Williams ...... 5 Printed copies of Southern Stars (NZ$): $35.00 (NZ) Norman Dickie 100 Years October 2nd 2016 $45.00 (Australia & South Pacifi c) Ashley Pennell ...... 10 $50.00 (Rest of World) Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Council & Offi cers 2016 to 2018 Canterbury President: Grahame Fraser ...... 11 John Drummond P O Box 113, Patutahi 4045. [email protected] Concerning Heritage Telescopes Immediate Past President: William Tobin ...... 21 John Hearnshaw Dep’t Physics & Astronomy, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140. [email protected] Vice President: FRONT COVER Nicholas Rattenbury The Department of Physics, Peter Knowles in his Richmond observatory with his 6” The University of Auckland, refactor made by the late Garry Nankivell. The telescope 38 Princes St, Auckland. was originally made for Hugh Kirkpatrick of Gore. [email protected] Photo courtesy Peter Knowles. Secretary: Nichola Van der Aa 32A Louvain St, Whakatane 3120. [email protected] Treasurer: Simon Lowther 19 Cape Vista Crescent, Pukekohe 2120. [email protected] Members’ Councillors: Steve Butler 30 Hoffman Court, Invercargill 9810. [email protected] Bob Evans 15 Taiepa Rd, Otatara RD9, Invercargill 9879. [email protected] Sergei Gulyaev 120 Mayoral Drive, Auckland, 1010. [email protected] Orlon Petterson Dep’t Physics & Astronomy, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140. [email protected] Glen Rowe 23 Stanhope Grove, Korokoro, Lower Hutt 5012. [email protected] Affi liated Societies’ Councillors: Peter Jaquiery 31 Wright St, Dunedin 9010 [email protected] Gary Sparks 67 Meeanee Road, Taradale, Napier 4112. [email protected] Fellows’ Councillor: Karen Pollard Dep’t Physics & Astronomy, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140. [email protected] Page 2 Southern Stars A 6” Nankivell Refractor:- Peter Knowles A 6” Nankivell Refractor

Peter Knowles History

The six inch refractor now owned by the author, of Richmond, started its life in Gore. Hugh Kirkpatrick, the Gore pharmacist, was a model engineer. The mounting had setting circles and they soon found the After the discovery of Nova Puppis in 1942 by A.C. G. Crust of double star gamma Virginis. Norman still remembers the view Wellington and confi rmed by Norman Dickie of Gore, Hughie clearly, 50 years on. developed an interest in astronomy. He obtained a two inch telescope, but soon craved for more aperture. About 6 months after Hughie’s passing I approached Hughie’s son Brian to ask what the future was for the 6 inch telescope. In 1955 - 56 while I was His brother Ken and Brian himself were not interested in the attending Gore High School, telescope so a price was negotiated and we traveled down to Hughie was machining and Gore to bring it back to Nelson. Hughie’s wife said Hughie constructing a 4inch telescope. would be pleased the telescope was going to a good home and The optics were ground by because I had watched it being built it meant a lot to me. Garry Nankivell. Norman Dickie used to use this with We brought the original mount home too. Hughie’s son Ken Hughie. had obtained the base (a milk separator base from a dairy factory up north). Hughie cut it in half had an extension cast Eventually this was not enough and in the 1960s he ordered a six inch objective from Garry Nankivell who then lived in Levin.

While the objective lenses were being fabricated, Hughie Hughie Kirkpatrick’s 4 inch. built the tube and equatorial mounting. The model engineer had turned himself to bigger things.

I purchased the 4 inch telescope after Hughie constructed the 6 inch. The 4 inch is now owned by our son Nigel who lives at Te Horo.

Soon after the 6 inch telescope was assembled and operational, Hughie met Norman Dickie in the street and invited him to view through his telescope. Despite being the middle of the day, Kirkpatrick left his shop, and the two set out to view some stars: in broad daylight.

Hughie Kirkpatrick looking through his 6 inch in his Gore Peter Knowles with the 6 inch. Photo by the Nelson observatory. Evening Mail at the offi cial opening of his observatory.

55, 4, 2016 December Page 3 A 6” Nankivell Refractor:- Peter Knowles which he machined and bolted in to extend the concept. When the telescope mount and gear drive system was complete the slide off roof observatory was built. Hughie assembled the mount and telescope and it was all up and running in 1975. For the fi rst time I saw the binary system Alpha Centauri (Rigel Kent) in daylight and will never forget that experience. I remember Hughie was very precise with everything he did and always had a circular manual calculator (worked like a slide rule) in his top shirt pocket. He taught me how to operate the 6 inch telescope and how to calculate siderial time from his location. We spent many hours together using the 6 inch telescope and he was a pleasure to be with and taught me a lot about astronomy.

Heather Couper with Albert Jones visiting the author’s observatory on 1995 July 30th. on two strips of artifi cial plastic lawn grass to seal from wind and rain. I have never had a water leak. Sir Patrick Moore commented that it was a better observatory than he had at his home in Cornwell. It was offi cially opened by the then mayor Kerry Marshall. We invited friends and school teachers and had a barbecue lunch.

Since then we have school groups, cubs, scouts, and families to view the skies through the telescope. We also operated a home stay (Southern Heavens) for overseas astronomers and The author’s observatory in Richmond, New Zealand, hosted some well known astronomers including Sir Patrick housing the 6 inch refractor. Moore, Ben Oppenheimer (who worked on design and repairs for the Hubble Space telescope), Heather Couper, Robin In 1988 my four metre observatory was completed at Catchpole (Greenwich Observatory), Brian Boyle (siding 1A Kingsley Place, Richmond. Constructed of sheet alloy Springs Observatory), Prof Jay Pasachoff and Brian Warner riveted to a hollow rolled section (HRS), ribs welded to 100mm South Africa. channel steel which the wall rollers run on, ply glued and nailed to 4×2 wood framing. Each section is bolted together. The I am interested in astro photograghy and have used the 6 inch fl oor is chip board sitting on wood joists. The foundation is telescope on many occasions to mount my camera for this concrete with a secondary foundation 100mm from the mount purpose. concrete block with sand in between, this was to minimize vibration from walking around in the observatory. I have a I would rate the quality of the telescope as excellent, easy motor driving a chain the full circumference of the dome which to use, and well constructed. I have never had to replace or works very well. The opening slide runs on rollers and slides change anything; just a coat of paint. It is as Hughie designed and built it.

Acknowledgements Norman and Ross Dickie for extra information.

Sir Patrick Moore visiting the author’s observatory on 1997 October 20th. The author beside his observatory.

Page 4 Southern Stars The Multiple Periods of L2 Puppis:- Stan Walker et al.

The Multiple Periods of L2 Puppis

Stan Walker, Neil Butterworth, Terry Bohlsen, Giorgio di Scala, Peter Williams

We analyse 125 years of visual measures of the semi-regular variable star L2 Puppis together with 274 UBV or BVRI measures. The period change in 1967 is confi rmed. This star has intervals of quite regular pulsations but at other times it is very irregular. The colour measures do not suppport the presence of a hot companion stars as earlier believed, the strong ultra-violet emission appears to be associated with the presence of material in the nebulosity surrounding the star. This has almost certainly been present for most or all of the period observed. The present decline in luminosity is not unique, there have been three previous instances recorded but this is the deepest and is still in progress. 1.0 Introduction The bright semi-regular variable star L2 Puppis has been the This confi rms that L2 Puppis is correctly classed as SRb although subject of considerable attention during the last several years. there are intervals when its regular behaviour approaches that Earlier, Walker et al, 1992, analysed the available observations of an SRa star. (See addendum.) of the RASNZ Variable Star Section covering the interval 1927 to 1992 and drew attention to an abrupt period change from 139.0 days to 137.92 days between 1955 and 1965. Earlier 2.0 The O-C Diagram measures by Alexander Roberts to 1918 and a few other visual Epochs would normally best be determined by fi tting observers have now become available as have the observations observations to a mean light curve but clearly it is not possible to since that paper. In all, 28260 visual estimates were available produce such a curve. Dates of maxima have been determined during this interval of 125 years. So the opportunity is present by inspection and fi tted to the light curves as well as possible. to update those earlier conclusions. The accuracy is estimated to be less than ±5 days in most cases. During the 125 year interval 193 of 330 epochs of maxima An examination of intervals of the light curve reveals two were positively identifi ed. The longest period with only a few contrasting types of behaviour. Measures by Roberts provide missing epochs was from JD 2430367 to JD 2441464 which a good record and do not introduce the scatter associated with comprised 80 cycles giving a mean period of 138.71 days, a a variety of observers. These have been used to illustrate the reasonable match to the period of 139.0 days used in Figure 3. contrast in behaviour at different intervals. In Figure 1a there During this interval there was one set of two missing epochs and are reasonably well defi ned maxima but in Figure 1b it is hard one of three. There were several single epochs missing. It is to determine any maximum effectively. Figures 2a and 2b important that the cycle numbers not be in error but even in the from three to four decades later with a variety of observers worst intervals these appear to have been correctly determined, show a similar pattern. based upon the possible periods during each interval.

Figures 1a & 1b: These show a contrast in amplitude and regularity. L2 Puppis appears to have stable intervals as in Figure 1a contrasting with unstable intervals like Figure 1b on a semiperiodic interval of a decade or so. For convenience the years covered by these graphs are labelled at the top. In these, and all other graphs where years are shown, they relate to the earliest and latest MJDs of the graph, not the fi rst and last measures. To simplify the graphs a modifi ed Julian date of JD - 2400000 is used throughout. The vertical scale in Figures 1 and 2 is in visual magnitudes.

55, 4, 2016 December Page 5 The Multiple Periods of L2 Puppis:- Stan Walker et al.

Figures 2a & 2b: These show a similar contrast to that of Figures 1a & 1b. The resulting O-C diagram is presented in Figure 3 Wavelets An O-C diagram covering the period since JD 2436000 appears analysis or similar has not been used as these tend to smear out in Figure 4. It seems clear that the period has abruptly become short term variations which are real and may be important in shorter by 1.6 days, a little over 1%, which is quite a substantial understanding these stars. change for a star of this type. The period alternations persist but seem to have become more frequent. These periods are This fi gure shows period alternations at intervals, a common now ~140.2 days and ~135.3 days. Due to the small interval feature of Mira stars, and a period change somewhere in the this fundamental mean period may differ from what is shown. interval JD 2435000 to JD 2440000. The noisiness of the Continued measures are important. epochs is caused by two things - the beating with one or more subsidiary periods, and the continued switching to the alternate In considering these O-C diagrams there are two aspects. period even though one of the two alternates was mainly The fi rst is the fundamental pulsation period which is dominant at that time. The alternate periods are ~142.2 days normally considered to be associated with the ionisation and and ~136.2 days. recombination of hydrogen. This differs from the Cepheid instability strip which is associated more with helium ionisation. But the outer regions of these cooler stars are convective and it is believed that this affects the pulsation frequency causing the apparent period alternations. In Walker et al, 1998, these alternations as they appeared in Mira stars were examined. The divergences from the underlying period were usually 1-3% and usually the total divergence as shown in an O-C diagram was limited to 10-20% of the period. In the case of L2 Puppis the divergence in period is ~2.0% but the total divergence from the O-C diagram reaches ~43%. Figure 3: The O-C diagram covering 125 years from 1891 to 2016, plotted to the light elements JD 2411870.0 + 139.0. The apparent luminosity does not change noticeably during This period, with the normal alternations which are present in these alternations whereas the radius should be affected by many similar pulsating stars, was stable until some time after the period changes. Thus temperature should change to JD 2435000. The vertical scale is in days with epochs occurring compensate. Unfortunately there appear to be no long term before the predicted date as negative, epochs occurring late as colour measures of either Mira or SR stars which would positive. Figure 4 uses the same convention. The consistently provide this information. early epochs of maximum after 35000 indicate that the period has changed. It is probably coincidental that this change in the main pulsational period occurred very close in time to the major 1960 fading in luminosity. The present decline began about 1995 or ~JD 2450000 but there are no signs of a change in the pulsation period although the subsequent alternating deviation is larger than normal .

3.0 Subsidiary Periods: The two intervals of Figure 1a, 1b have been subjected to a period analysis using the Lomb-Scargle method. The main Figure 4: The O-C diagram since JD 2436000 plotted to the periods are shown in Figures 5 and 6 with accompanying tables ephemeris JD 2437648.0 + 137.4 days, a decrease in period of of periods and strengths. 1.6 days. It shows similar behaviour to the main part of Figure 3. Note that the horizontal scale is considerably different.

Page 6 Southern Stars The Multiple Periods of L2 Puppis:- Stan Walker et al.

Figure 5: This shows a main period of ~141 days Figure 6: Here the period of ~144 days still and main secondary periods of ~101 and ~227 days. dominates but the broad ~227 day period is more prominent with a new ~167 day period noticeable. These periods were based upon visual observations by The ~101 day period is still present but signifi cantly Alexander Roberts so that multiple observers are not present in broader. the data. But they did not comprise a large enough number to provide the resolution that the O-C diagram does. 5.0 Colour Measures PEP and CCD measures through various fi lters have been made Other intervals show similar ranges of periods and strengths. at intervals since 1985. These are summarised in Table 1. The It is clear that there are many periods present in the data as detailed measures are available on line at would be expected with an SRb star. This mix of periods is http://www.variablestarssouth.org/information-and-resources/ probably responsible for the occasional intervals of very low catalogues-a-databases amplitudes. L2 Puppis is shown in the GCVS as an SRb star with a period of 140.6 days and spectral class M5IIIe-M6IIIe. Allen’s 4.0 Earlier Period Determinations Astrophysical Quantities, Cox, 2000, (AAQ), provides the In 1992 Walker et al examined measures made in the 1950s following information for such a star. MV =-0.30, B-V = 1.63, and 60s by Albert Jones and in the 1980s by Frank Ives, as U-B = 1.58, V-R = 2.18, R-I = 1.96. Bolometric correction well as UBV measures at Auckland Observatory. From Jones’ -2.48. Te 3380K. Recent analyses by others have used a measures periods of 140.58 and 135.13 days were derived, temperature of ~3500K. Ives’ rather small dataset yielded 138.90 and 99.24 days. This paper also concluded that the system was binary with an The mean V, B-V values up to about 1996 are similar to those unseen but hotter star affecting the B-V and U-B colours. This given in AAQ but there is a U-B excess of ~0.450. During is discussed further in section 5.1. the V decline in the late 1990s the B-V colour became redder which would not be unexpected and there are indications that Bedding et al, 2002, concluded that the period lay within the U-B excess was increasing - but that is almost certainly the range 135-145 days during the 75 years to 2002. This is because the emission source, whilst probably unchanging, was based upon a wavelet analysis which tends to obscure more contributing a greater proportion of the radiation through that subtle variations. Thus they did not detect the clear change fi lter. R CrB stars also show a reddening B-V colour during in the pulsation period shown in this and the earlier Walker the fading. et al analysis. They also suggested that L2 Puppis should be classifi ed as an SRa star but this is clearly not in keeping with The last U-B value determined by Williams was in 1999, those its long term behaviour. by Bohlsen were in 2016. Considering the U magnitude alone

55, 4, 2016 December Page 7 The Multiple Periods of L2 Puppis:- Stan Walker et al.

Table 1: A Summary of UBV and BVRI measures. Name JDS JDF V B-V U-B V B-V U-B Mean Mean Mean Year N’r B-V U-B U Mag APOG 46051 46256 3.918 1.523 0.808 5.693 1.691 1.332 1.610 1985 42 HOW 48997 49151 3.540 1.541 0.436 5.015 1.777 0.828 1.670 1.054 7.431 1993 26 HOW 49358 49515 3.939 1.481 0.713 5.500 1.824 1.030 1.676 1.184 7.572 1994 35 HOW 49697 49892 3.559 1.414 0.522 5.444 1.769 1.141 1.582 1.147 7.371 1995 32 HOW 50059 50200 4.230 1.506 0.853 5.429 1.828 1.051 1.628 0.927 7.360 1996 40 HOW 50493 50570 4.753 1.727 0.858 5.787 1.915 1.187 1.806 0.969 8.221 1997 11 HOW 50787 50852 4.988 1.608 0.748 5.724 1.810 1.168 1.713 0.897 8.089 1998 8 HOW 51135 51319 4.926 1.649 0.765 6.312 1.921 1.510 1.824 1.032 8.694 1999 10 MYV 54873 56011 6.120 1.620 7.310 1.850 1.739 2009-12 35 BDJB 57468 57495 7.406 1.493 7.872 1.544 1.519 2016 2 BIW 57398 57544 7.001 1.404 7.947 1.644 1.528 2016 12 BHQ 57417 57514 6.920 1.560 -0.09 7.880 1.650 -0.88 1.604 8.650 2016 8 V B-V V-R R-I V B-V V-R R-I Mean Mean Mean DSI 55215 55686 6.300 1.710 1.520 1.560 7.130 1.850 1.870 1.910 1.769 2010 13 APOG = Auckland Observatory, HOW = Harry Williams, MYV = Terry Moon, BDJB = David Benn, BIW = Neil Butterworth, BHQ = Terry Bohlsen, DSI = Giorgio di Scala. there has been little change. This suggests that the the radiation from the star through that fi lter was around U = 10 to U = 11 or more and that it was not contributing enough to affect the overall magnitude. It should also be noted that at its present brightness level emission is affecting the B-V colour as well.

5.1 Possible Binarity as Related to B-V and U-B Colours UBV measures through a single cycle made at Auckland Observatory are shown in Figure 7. Noticeable is the fl attish B-V colour curve and the inverted U-B curve with the brightest parts of B-V midway on the rising branch - and U-B is brightest at minimum V. In Walker et al, 1992, these were attributed to the presence of an unresolved and bluer companion star. Figure 7: This covers ~1.5 cycles in 1985 and shows a The high resolution imaging of Kervella et all, 2016, shows no pause on the rise in one cycle, also a difference of ~0.5 trace of a star of this type but identifi es a bright feature which magnitudes in V between the successive cycles. may be a fainter companion star of a similar colour to the primary or simply a dense region in the nebula surrounding the 6.0 Declines in Visual Luminosity main star. This leads to another solution - that the confusing Figure 8 shows visual luminosity changes during the past 125 phases of the B-V and U-B colours indicate the presence of a years. This has been prepared by using a 201 point running strong emission source present in 1985, well before the present mean to nullify the 139.0/137.4 day period effects, with all ejection event. Aspects of this are discussed in section 6.0. visual magnitudes converted to luminosity. No bolometric corrections have been applied. The interval to JD 2421000 This concept is supported by the last measures of Williams in is probably uncertain as Roberts’ comparison sequence is Table 1 in 1999 as compared to the measures by Bohlsen in not known and he used a visual photometer which may have 2016 where the U magnitudes are very similar, although the suppressed the amplitudes. But it is clear that there are at least star was two magnitudes brighter in 1998 and 1999. This four major fading events beginning in 1928, 1940, 1960 and brightness change would reduce the stellar contribution in U 1995. The luminosity at minimum compared to the luminosity by a factor of six. This suggests that the star’s contribution of before the declines was respectively 52.15%, 43.28%, 23.18% U was small. and 4.5%. Are the intervals and amplitudes signifi cant?

Page 8 Southern Stars The Multiple Periods of L2 Puppis:- Stan Walker et al.

feature as well. L2 Puppis appears to have intervals where the light curve is lower in amplitude with very irregular behaviour - where there are almost certainly several periods of similar strength involved.

Finally, the proposal that L2 Puppis should be reclassifi ed as an SRa star is not sustainable, given the frequent intervals of pulsations which are irregular in both period and amplitude.

Acknowledgements The Auckland Observatory UBV measures were made at the request of Gordon Herdman, a visual observer who was puzzled by what appeared to be standstills on the rising Figure 8: A 201 point running mean of the intensity branch. These UBV measures were then carried on by Harry or luminosity all visual measures. Mean maximum O Williams at his Milton Road Observatory. Andrew Pearce luminosity is V = 3.87. Mean minimum luminosity is of Variable Stars South drew attention to the recent decline in V= 7.63. pulsation amplitude. Table 2: L2 Puppis - Declines in Luminosity Visual observers included A E Roberts, Albert F Jones, Date Lum Start Lum Min Minimum % Peter Williams, Andrew Pearce and many others. 1928 25983 13551 52.15 1940 28179 12196 43.28 Variable Stars South members Terry Bohlsen, Neil Butterworth 1960 24052 5572 23.17 and David Benn measured L2 Puppis in early 2016 with the U measures of Bohlsen being particularly valuable in this 1995 19905 896 4.51 analysis. Partial BVRI measures by Giorgio di Scala and Rather than treating the present decline as an unprecedented Terry Moon were obtained from the International Database event the long term behaviour of L2 Puppis needs to be aimtained by the AAVSO as were visual measures by other considered. At three times in the past the star has been 25% members of Variable Stars South. brighter than the level of 1993 when the present fading began. If Roberts’ measures are treated as indicating the level in the References decades around 1900 then the star was either recovering from Bedding, T, Zijlstra, A A, Jones, A, Marang, F, Matsuura, M, an earlier fade or for some reason later became brighter. Retter, A, Whitelock, P A, Yamamura, I., (2002), Mon Not R Astron Soc, 337, 79.

Conclusions Cox, A N, (2000), Allen’s Astrophysical Quantities, p388, Quite clearly the brightness of L2 Puppis, apart from the earlier Springer ~139.0 day pulsation cycle, since 1961 reduced to 137.4 days, has varied in an erratic manner in the 125 years since Kervella, P, Montarges, M, Ridgway, S T, Perrin, G, its discovery. Whilst the present decline beginning in 1995 is Chesnau, , Lacour, S, Chiavassa, A, Haubois, X, Gallene, A., the most pronounced there is no reason to assume that this is (2014), Ast & Ap J, 2014. unique. The four major declines show no evidence of periodic intervals. Kervella, P, Montarges, M, Lagadec, E, Ridgway, S T, Haubois, X, Girard, H J, Ohnaka, K, Perrin, G, Gallene, A., The U measures, whilst fragmentary, also indicate a substantial (2016), Ast & Ap J, 2016. emission component as far back as 1984-85 which is in keeping with the concept that this star has had several, perhaps many, Walker, W S G, Marino, B F, Herdman, G C D, Ives, F J, earlier mass ejection episodes. Jones A F, Menzies, B, Hull, O R., (1992), Southern Stars, Journal of the RASNZ, 34, 381. The abrupt and large period change about 1961 is unusual but there are no fi ltered measures which might help to understand Walker, W S G, Cottrell, P L, Bateson, F M, Jones, A. F, any possible changes in radius or temperature. Since there was (1998), Pulsating Stars - Recent Developments in Theory and no similar period change near the current luminosity change Observation, Universal Academy Press, Inc, p135 the closeness in time of the 1960 and 1961 events must be assumed as coincidental.

The recent decrease in amplitude of the pulsation period appeared unusual but other similar stars have shown this [email protected] A refereed paper

55, 4, 2016 December Page 9 The Multiple Periods of L2 Puppis:- Stan Walker et al.

Addendum - SR Stars Delving into all this a little deeper - the star’s temperature, Semi-Regular stars are divided into four categories - SRa, SRb, radius and pressure all contribute to the presence of internal SRc, SRd. The latter two are either very massive cool stars - processes which, if they are at the right level in the envelope, SRc, or earlier spectral types - SRd and hence hotter than the will cause disturbances in the photosphere. Cepheids are a two which interest us here. All SR stars have irregular light good example of that, with a purely radiative energy transfer curves but show some type of periodicity which distinguishes in the envelope and almost regular pulsations. But cooler stars them from irregular, I, stars which show no periodicity. have convective outer layers which muddle up the outgoing shock waves - not badly in Mira stars, but more so in SR A rather artifi cial restriction is that with SRa and SRc types the stars. Understanding all of this, and perhaps the infl uence of amplitudes must be less than 2.5 magnitudes. This distinguishes non-radial pulsations, is one of the challenges facing modern them from Miras where the large 3 to 11 magnitude amplitudes astrophysics. But it allows a better understanding of the stellar are largely associated with opacity changes of TiO and similar interiors - so we now have asteroseismology. compounds caused by the cyclic temperature changes. And to add a fi nal source of confusion - the semi-regular group SRa stars have low amplitudes but reasonably consistent of stars seems to be an area where any pulsating star which is periods. Variations are caused by the presence of more than not quite understood ends up. So it’s well worth observing - one pulsation frequency - but one frequency usually dominates, there are certainly more surprises in that area than L2 Puppis. the others cause bumps and standstills in light curves. SR One example is SY Fornacis - another puzzling SR star with periods generally lie between 30 and 200 days but a few are up complex period changes - it’s also a binary like Mira and was to 1200 days. To confuse things, Mira stars with periods less even once thought to be a dwarf nova because of it’s strange than 200 days often have a second pulsation frequency, but not colours. as strong, and can be quite erratic at times..

SRb stars at times pulsate as regularly as SRa stars, at other times periodicities are hard to see. See Figures 1 and 2. L2 Puppis is one such object. During these messy intervals many pulsation periods are present, often with several of similar strengths. These either reinforce or cancel one another so that one period cannot be determined by inspection of the light curve. To further complicate matters sometimes the light curve may be without any perceptible periods for several or many cycles.

Norman Dickie 100 years October 2nd 2016

Ashley Pennell Dunedin Astronomical Society It all came down to an appropriately warm sunny day in Northern Southland, on a farm just a few km up the Mataura River from Gore. It was this farm where Norman Dickie was born and which he worked until 1991.

Over one hundred guests had assembled to celebrate his birthday. This occasion was somewhat different as Norman was turning 100. Since his schooldays astronomy had become more than a pastime. He has a comet named after him and he was associated with discovering a nova.

His association with the Dunedin Astronomical Society has always been social, joining in with functions, talks and other events when possible. A few weeks prior to his birthday a suggestion was discussed and acknowledged to be appropriate that Norman be invited to be a life member of the Society. Norman with his sons Ross and Grant were guests at our November AGM. He spoke of early observations with a 3 inch refractor borrowed from his local school. Ashley Pennell presents Norman Dickie with his certifi cate of Life Membership in the presence of his sons Norman: still interested in anything astronomical, and members of the Dunedin Astronomical Society, in congratulations on your 100 years. the Beverly-Begg Observatory, Dunedin.

Page 10 Southern Stars Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury:- Grahame Fraser Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury

Grahame Fraser History

In the l930s Congreve John Banwell and Clifton Darfi eld Ellyett were each successively undergraduates, post graduate students and junior staff members in the Department of Physics at Canterbury University College in Christchurch (NZ). After almost three years of collaboration with Fred White on ionospheric research at CUC, Banwell left NZ for Britain in August 1939 with the intention of doing a PhD at the Cavendish Laboratory but on arrival in Britain after war had begun, he was diverted to TRE. He was twice on loan to RDL in NZ for the design and operation of ship and air warning radars. He also carried out operational research on Ground Controlled Interception radars in the Pacic. Banwell fi nished the war as a Senior Scientifi c Offi cer, with special expertise in receiver design, at TRE. In March 1946 he joined Bernard Lovell’s radar astronomy group at Jodrell Bank.

Ellyett had replaced Banwell in the CUC Physics Department where he taught wartime radiophysics courses for Service personnel. He also ran the NZ ionosonde network when it was expanded at Appleton’s request. When the war ended Ellyett journeyed to join Lovell’s group. His visit overlapped Banwell’s by only one year (1947).

After his return to NZ in December 1947 Banwell moved to the new fi eld of geothermal research. Ellyett returned in 1950 and established a CUC meteor radar fi eld station in Canterbury. This article describes the environments in which they did their research.

Abbreviations used: troposphere and ionosphere was also a subject of great interest. Canterbury University College (CUC) in Christchurch, New There was more rapid progress in these topics during WW2. Zealand, was a constituent College of the University of New Zealand until it became the independent University of In the CUC Physics Department there was a background in Canterbury (UoC) in 1962. radio propagation research and this was put to use as part of the war effort in 1939 with radar and, later the revival of The UK Air Ministry radar organisation had various ionospheric observations. names at various times and sites. The abbreviation TRE (“Telecommunications Research Establishment”) will be Fraser (2005) gives a brief history of radiophysics research used for the organisation situated in succession at Orfordness, within New Zealand between 1895 and 2005. More detail on Bawdsey, Dundee, Worth Matravers and Malvern (Penley, the careers of John Banwell and Clif Ellyett is presented here. 1993). In 1931 Banwell (Figure 1) RDL is the NZ Radio Development Laboratory of the graduated with an MSc at CUC. Department of Scientifi c and Industrial Research (DSIR) which His thesis was supervised by designed and built radars and provided operational support to the Head of the Department, the NZ services and US services in WW2. Professor C. Coleridge Farr (Banwell (1931), Farr & Banwell The SI unit MHz (MegaHertz) replaces the older mc/s (1932)). At the time of Farr’s (megacycles/second), except in quoted text. retirement in June 1936 Banwell was appointed acting-lecturer (Anon., 1936) and continued 1 Introduction his research on the interaction Radiophysics is the study of radio-frequency electromagnetic between light and strong waves, their generation, detection and propagation. It magnetic fi elds (Banwell & Farr, progressed in the 1920s and 1930s, following the development 1940), showing that a magnetic of radio broadcasting and communications, with the wide fi eld had no observable effect Figure 1: John Banwell. Photo: Trevor Hunt application of Fourier analysis in determining the frequency on the speed of light. He also spectrum of individual radio signals and the angular spectrum studied the relationship between earthquakes and atmospheric of scattered or diffracted waves. Radio wave propagation in the waves (Baird & Banwell, 1940).

55, 4, 2016 December Page 11 Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury:- Grahame Fraser

Beside his professional career Banwell was a licensed amateur commander-in-chief of Fighter Command, wanted personal radio operator. When the Amateur Radio Emergency Corps confi rmation (Judkins, 2012). A BBC short-wave broadcast was founded in NZ after the catastrophic Napier earthquake transmitter at Daventry was used to measure the energy in 1931 he joined the Christchurch section of AREC. He refl ected from a Handley Page Heyford bomber which had designed and built a series of radio transmitters and receivers metal wings with a span of 25m. A metal half-wave dipole acts for portable emergency work. as a resonant refl ector (Kraus, 1988, p.795). The wing therefore had a resonant frequency close to the frequency of 6.024MHz Fred White was appointed as Professor of Physics (equivalent (wavelength = 49.8m) available from the transmitter. Austin to Head of Department at that time) at CUC in January 1937 (1999) describes in detail the experiment and the calculations (White (1975), Minnett & Robinson (1996)). He found in by which the refl ected energy was estimated. These successful Banwell a very competent colleague to help him establish quantitative measurements led to the establishment of the ionospheric research. Funds became available from the Radio CH (Chain Home) radar stations around the coast of Britain. Research Committee and Banwell was employed full time on Twenty of the CH radars were in operation, at frequencies of research. 20 - 50 Mhz (wavelengths of 15 - 6 metres), by September 1939 (Swords, 1986, p.296). In the following two years the group published several papers using observations made by two ionosondes. The fi rst, built by The concept of the resonant dipole refl ector was also suggested Banwell, was in operation by October 1937. Later they bought to the Air Ministry team at Bawdsey by Lord Rutherford (another an automatic ionosonde from Australia which was operating CUC Physics graduate), shortly before his death in October by April 1938. The published paper (White et al., 1940) on 1937, as a means of calibrating the CH chain radar range and the ionosphere over NZ included collaboration with George angle measurements. A dipole was attached to a balloon fl own Peddie of the Physics Department in Victoria University from a ship whose position was easily determined (Brown College in Wellington, who had (1999, p.57), Latham & Stobbs (2011, p.58), Zimmerman also built an ionosonde (Peddie, (2013, p.257), Fraser (2010)). His comprehension of possible 1937). White’s other papers CH transmitter problems was illustrated by Allibone’s from this pre-war period include comment (Lovell & Hurst, 1988) that “Rutherford discussed White et al. (1938) and White & the Metropolitan-Vickers contract with me in the early summer Straker (1939). of 1937; he was concerned about the reliability of continuously pumped valves over very long times”. At the time Rutherford Ellyett (Figure 2) graduated was advising the British government on defence (Brown, with an MSc (double Honours in 1991,p.10) and “took a fatherly interest” (Wood & Dempster, Chemistry and Physics) (Ellyett, 2010, p.57). 1936). In 1938 he was appointed Assistant Lecturer in Physics at A very signifi cant feature of the British CH radar network was CUC, replacing Banwell who that, despite the marginal technology available, the scientists Figure 2: Clif Ellyett. was by then White’s research at Bawdsey and the Royal Air Force at Biggin Hill had Photo: Royal Society of NZ assistant. jointly devised quick methods for rapidly analysing the radar information and transferring predictions so the fi ghters could fi nd the bomber formations quickly. This technique, called the 2 Britain 1935 - 1938 “Dowding System” (Zimmerman, 2004, p.384), named after the By 1939 radio technology in Britain (and elsewhere) had man primarily responsible for implementing it, is considered to developed to the point where the elements required for a pulse be the beginnings of the new science of Operations Research radar were well understood. Ionospheric sounders had been in (McCloskey, J. F. (1987, p.145), Zimmerman (2013, p.15)). use for over a decade. The British Broadcasting Corporation and the Royal Navy used high power transmitting valves and large aerial arrays to transmit signals around the globe. The 3 Britain and New Zealand 1939 introduction of television introduced cathode ray tube displays The fi rst New Zealand contact with Britain’s radar programme and fast switching circuits with the consequential need for occurred in February 1939 when the NZ government received wide bandwidth. a request from the UK Secretary of State for Air to send a “skilled physicist to Britain for instruction in a new defence By 1939 successful radars had been built in Britain, Germany device” ((The National Archives of the UK (TNA) (a), and the United States and development was proceeding in fi ve (Matthews, 1948, p.27)). The head of the NZ Department of other countries (Brown, 1999). Scientifi c Research (DSIR), Ernest Marsden, a physicist and former student of Rutherford at Manchester, was selected and At that time in Britain there was urgency to develop a radio arrived in Britain in April 1939. He visited TRE at Bawdsey detection system to detect bombers (Holman, 2014), (Brown, and Royal Navy radar research establishments and ships. He 1999, p.51). Watson-Watt and Wilkins devised a demonstration, returned to NZ with much technical information and some conducted in February 1935, to make a quantitative estimate hardware in October 1939. Marsden’s reports from Britain of the energy refl ected from a bomber (Swords, 1986, p.180). during 1939 had initiated the establishment of two radar It was widely known (Swords, 1986) that radio waves were development groups in NZ. One was in the CUC Physics refl ected from aircraft but Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, the Department, led by Fred White. The other group was at the

Page 12 Southern Stars Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury:- Grahame Fraser

Radio Section of the Post Offi ce in Wellington, led by Charles discussed by Unwin (1992), Galbreath & Department of Watson-Munro. The two teams were given different objectives Internal Affairs Historical Branch (1998), Galbreath (2000a), (Unwin, 1992). White’s group concentrated on naval radar and Galbreath (2000b), and Fraser (2005). Watson-Munro’s group on coastal warning, gunnery and air-to- surface vessel detection. 4.2 JOHN BANWELL AT TRE There was direct NZ contact with radar when the cruiser In August 1939, possibly unaware of defence developments, Achilles was the target of the Seetakt radar (Brown, 1999, Banwell left Christchurch to begin a PhD on ionospheric pp.32, 270) on the German pocket battleship Graf Spee at the physics with J A Ratcliffe at the Cavendish Laboratory in Battle of the River Plate on 13th December 1939 (Walker, 2014, Cambridge. By the time he arrived in Cambridge, World War 2 p.12). The Achilles’ Captain Parry commented (Parry, 1940) had started and he joined George Bacon and Roland Lees, that “the German gunnery was very accurate”. who were Ratcliffe’s other new PhD students at the time, for one month on an interim project at a laboratory in Madingley The Royal New Zealand Navy became strong supporters of Road. Ratcliffe set them to test how much useful power could RDL radars (Waters (1956, Chap.28), Galbreath (2000b)), as be generated on a wavelength of 60cm (500MHz) from readily did the US Navy (Galbreath, 2000a). Although The Royal available transmitting valves (Bacon, pers. comm.). In October New Zealand Air Force used much RDL eqipment such as 1939 all three joined TRE, at that time in Dundee (Penley, airborne radars and ground-based beacons (Matthews, 1948, 2003a). Banwell’s experience with two ionosondes, radio Chap. 7) they relied mostly on COL radars imported from communication equipment and physics teaching gave him a TRE (Ross, 1955, Chap.9) for their ground-based early- good background to the principles and practice of pulse radar warning radars, leading to the misinformation provided by an for the air defence radar network which he now encountered. Australian radar operator to Brown (1999, p.222). This general lack of history about NZ radar is largely due to the strange Banwell and Lees developed a T/R switch for common aerial delay in not removing the “secret” classifi cation of Matthews transmit/receiver operation of a radar aerial. The transmitter (1948) until 1992. Even in 1941 newspaper articles mentioned sparks generated on the transmission lines caused virtual “radio location” (radar), “Watson Watt” as “Superintendent short-circuits on connected quarter-wave transmission lines, of the Bawdsey Research Station”, and the RNZAF’s need resulting in the receiver being isolated for the duration of the for recruits in radio training had appeared ((Anon., 1941a), spark pulse and the transmitter connected to the aerial (Swords (Anon., 1941b)). (1986, p.27), Penley (2003b), Banwell et al. (1944), Banwell (1946) (this paper was awarded a Premium Certifi cate by the I.E.E.)). 4 Wartime Radar 1940 - 1945 To provide the necessary personnel for radar, preparations Banwell and Bacon developed a 200 MHz Variable were made to begin teaching modifi ed physics courses as Elevation Beam (VEB) array which was a phased array using radiophysics in January 1940 in the Physics Departments at electromechanical phase shifting to swing the 1 degree width Auckland and Canterbury University Colleges. The courses beam vertically for accurate height measurement (Penley were to emphasise the topics of electronics and radio-frequency (2003b); Bacon (1946), Bacon (2005)). The VEB was used electromagnetic waves now required for designing and using operationally at several CH sites but centimetric radars with radars. Graduates from these courses became the scientists on their narrower beams soon made it unnecessary for height- the staff of the radar development groups (Matthews, 1948, fi nding (Penley (2003b)). p.636). During his employment at TRE Banwell made two visits to In early 1941 White was invited to act as temporary (three New Zealand, seconded to the NZ Government (Matthews, months) Chief of the Australian Radio Physics Laboratory 1948, p.126). The fi rst was from February 1941 until December (Matthews, 1948, p.48). He left NZ in February 1941 and his 1941, to help with naval radar and the installation of a T/R temporary appointment became permanent. He retired in 1970 switch for the Motutapu Island radar built by Collier and Beale as Sir Frederick White, head of theAustralian Commonwealth in Wellington to specifi cations for the British Admiralty Type Scientifi c and Industrial Research Organisation. 279 radar (Matthews, 1948, p.358). He also helped with ship- borne Ship Warning Gunnery (SWG) and Ship Warning (SW) radars for the Navy. 4.1 THE N EW Z EALAND R ADIO D EVELOPMENT L ABORATORY In June 1941 the Radio Development Board was established Banwell’s second visit was a secondment to the Royal New and included the military Chiefs of Staff. The Wellington, Zealand Air Force from July 1942 to October 1943 to help Christchurch and Auckland laboratories were combined to with radar development and the siting of COL (Chain Overseas form the Radio Development Laboratory as part of DSIR. Low) and GCI (Ground Controlled Interception) radars on the The 694 page history of New Zealand’s wartime Radio Solomon Islands in the Pacifi c. In February 1943 he led an Development Laboratory and the radars it designed and built is advance party to Guadalcanal at the request of joint US forces to available as an eBook at the University of Canterbury Library select the site for a British GCI radar. For this work “Squadron (Matthews, 1948). There is an excellent Chronology on pages Leader (RNZAF) Congreve John Banwell was mentioned-in- 3 - 11. Technical details of their radars are listed in Appendix despatches” (Offi ce of the NZ Minister for Defence, 13 June 1 (pp.613-625). The WW2 activities of RDL have also been 1946). Both his visits to NZ were strongly opposed (The

55, 4, 2016 December Page 13 Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury:- Grahame Fraser

National Archives of the UK (TNA) (b) by senior TRE staff The completed Pacifi c network comprised operational (Rowe, Lewis and Ratcliffe) as Banwell was an experienced ionosondes at Lincoln (moved from Christchurch) in NZ, radiophysicist and his work on common aerial working and the Campbell Island, Kermadec Islands, Fiji, Rarotonga and VEB system was considered too important for him to be absent Pitcairn Island. from TRE for an extended period.

While in Britain, and on his travels between TRE and NZ, 5 Jodrell Bank 1946-1950 Banwell carried out “useful unoffi cial” liaison in UK, USA and Figure 3 shows Banwell and Ellyett at Jodrell Bank in 1947 Australia (Matthews, 1948, p.126). in front of the “searchlight array”. This array is also shown in (Sullivan, 2009, Figure 9.3), with two photographs on the opposite page showing Banwell working on Jodrell Bank 4.3 CLIF ELLYETT AT CUC equipment. Ellyett had graduated with an MSc with double Honours in Chemistry and Physics (Ellyett, 1936). In 1938 he was appointed Assistant Lecturer in Physics at CUC, replacing 5.1 JOHN BANWELL Banwell who had been employed as White’s research assistant. Banwell was by now a specialist in radar receiver design (Sullivan (2009, p.180), Butrica (1996)) and a Senior Scientifi c Throughout the war Ellyett taught a series of radiophysics Offi cer at TRE (Penley, 2003c, Group 36), where he was courses at CUC (Matthews, 1948, p.636). These continued as engaged in radar and ultrasonic research. In a letter to Ratcliffe an option in Physics courses for some time after the war. dated 26th November 1945 he said “I have just left my old Group (formerly Group 36) to Hutchinson, and am starting an In 1941 a request came from Appleton in Britain (Ellyett, Ultrasonics Group (Z1) in the new Physics Division, under 1946) to revive and expand the NZ ionosphere observations to Bradfi eld. It appears to be a promising fi eld, with the chance help with predictions of radio wave propagation. Much of the of doing something approximating to genuine research once original Banwell and White equipment was still in existence again.” at CUC so the new DSIR Ionosphere Section was established there, under Ellyett’s leadership.

Figure 3: Banwell and Ellyett at Jodrell Bank in 1947. Bernard Lovell is front centre. Banwell is in the front row, on Lovell’s left. Ellyett is second from the left in the back row. Photo: Manchester University

Page 14 Southern Stars Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury:- Grahame Fraser

Cambridge had not forgotten Banwell. He received a letter Ellyett’s research was principally on the measurement of from the Secretary of the Board of Research studies in January meteoroid velocities from the moving Fresnel diffraction 1946 inviting him to let them know if he still wished “to come pattern produced during the formation of the meteor ionisation to Cambridge to undertake a course of research”. trails (Ellyett & Davies (1948), Davies & Ellyett (1949)). These measurements helped resolve an energetic discussion In a letter from the NZ Scientifi c Liaison Offi ce in London, (Gunn, 2005) about the existence of hyperbolic meteoroid to Marsden, Coop (1945) said “I also saw Banwell who is orbits from interstellar dust. Baggaley (2000) describes recent remaining at T. R. E. for a further year at least. He is striking results from Canterbury on this topic. out on some new lines, one of which may be of defi nite interest to New Zealand. They are going to explore the possibilities Unfortunately Ellyett’s thesis was a casualty in the early of using pulsed supersonics for investigations on the Earth’s academic turf war between “Radiophysics” and “Astronomy” surface. They have found that, provided they can get down to which eventually concluded with the two labels being rock, the waves are transmitted all right, but transmission is not combined as “Radio Astronomy” ((Sullivan, 2009, x1.2.1, very good through loose soil.” Chaps. 17, 18), Munns (2013, pp.55-59)). Orchiston (2005) edited a series of papers on the development of the “New” Banwell joined Lovell’s meteor radar group at Jodrell Bank astronomy, to include observations in the electromagnetic in March 1946 as a “senior recruit” (Lovell, 1992, p.124). He spectrum outside the visible region. soon made a signifi cant contribution to the group’s research, as described by Lovell (1992, pp.154,163): “In the previous The following excerpts are from the comments about Ellyett’s chapter I described the situation in the summer of 1946 when thesis by Munns (2013, pp.59-61). it was realized that a large improvement in the sensitivity of • “In late 1948, Lovell called in his old wartime connection our equipment would be needed if there was to be any hope Jack Ratcliffe from Cambridge to help with the oral of proceeding with the cosmic ray experiment. The easiest examinations of his students.....” solution seemed to be to improve the receiver, but Banwell • “Ellyett seems to have run afoul of Ratcliffe’s expectations said this would only make a small difference because the limit for a PhD in physics. Though Ratcliffe was nominally a would be set by cosmic noise. This phenomenon was soon to supporter of Jodrell Bank and Lovell, his dissenting opinion be the major concern of research at Jodrell and, indeed, the of Ellyett’s thesis reveals the extent to which discipline is primary reason for our continued development. It is therefore indeed about boundary control and policing.” curious that Banwell’s remark was the fi rst I had heard of this • “Moreover, it revealed early substantive differences subject.” between Ratcliffe’s vision of physics and Lovell’s of radar astronomy.” At Manchester University, Banwell supervised practical • “Lovell and Ratcliffe asked Ellyett for another essay on his classes and tutored. He also held a Turner and Newall Research thesis work, and further demanded that he take a written Fellowship available to researchers with a PhD or equivalent examination on “fundamental physical principles” six experience. He initially intended to study for a PhD. In an months later.” “Outline of research work carried out between May 1st 1946 • “What Ellyett went through over the next six months can and October 31st 1947” on October 30th 1947, for his Turner only be guessed ...... no doubt the coming examination and Newall Senior Research Fellowship he wrote hung like the sword of Damocles.” “The research falls into three main parts, • “The questions reveal much about Ratcliffe’s expectations 1. Observations of Solar Noise of the fundamental knowledge of a new PhD in physics, and 2. Observations of Radar Echoes at Metre Wavelengths and we can see how far Lovell’s ideas about radar astronomy their correlation with Visual Meteors had already diverged from Ratcliffe’s.” 3. Lunar and Planetary Radar Systems” • “Four years later Ellyett would have had little trouble. By then, a physicist and an astronomer routinely examined The work described in 1 and 2 was published as Lovell & Jodrell Bank’s PhD candidates, even though they were still Banwell (1946), Lovell et al. (1947) and Prentice et al. (1947). nominally within a physics department.” His 39-page thesis draft (Part 3) on Planetary Radars was still incomplete when he returned to New Zealand. On 14th May In contrast, Jarrell (2005, p.201) “argues that radio astronomy 1947 Banwell, wrote a personal letter to Lovell explaining was not integrated into main-stream astronomy by 1960”, more reasons why he wished to complete the essentials of his PhD than 10 years after Ellyett’s experience. and return to New Zealand by September 1947. Lovell wrote in reply on 16th May. Ellyett was primarily a chemist and had studied physics to an advanced level in his under-graduate degree. During the war he taught the radiophysics courses for training RDL scientists, 5.2 CLIF ELLYETT including topics on electromagnetic waves and electronics When Ellyett arrived in Manchester late in 1946 he noted that which were beyond the normal undergraduate physics course. “Banwell was already there doing radar meteors. We often The radiophysics courses continued, in shorter form, as an discussed meteors in my early days there. He and Lovell did optional paper in undergraduate courses at CUC for several not seem to hit it off” (Ellyett, 2003). years after the war. Ellyett was awarded his PhD in 1949 and returned to NZ in 1950.

55, 4, 2016 December Page 15 Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury:- Grahame Fraser

Banwell was principally involved with the exploration and development of geothermal resources at Wairakei in the central North Island. A DSIR Geophysics Division (now restructured as GNS Science) building at Wairakei was named the Banwell Building after him on May 17th 2011 (Hunt, 2015).

In 1964 Banwell was awarded the Cooper Medal. The Cooper Medal is awarded biennially to the researcher (or researchers) who, working within New Zealand, has published original research within the fi elds of physics or engineering that is of particular merit and either addresses a specifi c need, or is likely to have a benefi cial impact, in or for New Zealand.

Four years later he left the DSIR and became a consultant to the Federal Electricity Commission of Mexico (CFE), training staff and advising on geothermal exploration programmes. He then undertook consulting work with the United Nations in New York and was involved in the planning of exploration and evaluation of projects in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Kenya, Chile and Taiwan. After retiring from the United Nations he returned to New Zealand (Hunt, 2015).

6.2 CLIF ELLYETT Figure 4: DSIR geophysicist John Banwell (left) and On his return to New Zealand at CUC in 1950 Ellyett set up geochemist Stuart Wilson examine an early Wairakei a radar meteor research station at (43º37’S 172º24’E near geothermal bore about 1950. Rolleston, to the west of Christchurch. This was based on a war Photo: N.Z. Institute of Chemistry surplus 69MHz GL MkII radar and several locally constructed aerial arrays ( Ellyett & Fraser(1955), Ellyett & Roth (1955), 6 New Zealand 1947 and after Ellyett & Keay (1956), Seed & Ellyett (1958), Ellyett et al. 6.1 JOHN BANWELL (1961), Ellyett & Stanbury (1961)). He was awarded the On his return to New Zealand Banwell did not continue in his Cooper Medal in 1958. pre-war fi eld of ionospheric research. His time in Britain had been productive with a senior position at TRE, three papers On the Rolleston site there was also an MF radar developed by (Lovell & Banwell (1946), Lovell et al. (1947), Prentice et al. John Gregory for the study of ionisation below the E-region (1947) ) and three patents (Banwell(1950), Banwell (1947), by partially refl ected 1.75MHz pulses ((Gardner & Pawsey, Banwell et al. (1944)). 1953), (Gregory, 1956)). Gregory was a CUC staff member who had been an RNZAF radar offcer during WW2 ((Gregory Banwell arrived back in NZ in December 1947. He continued & Coombs, 1943). working on his thesis and assisting with a magnetic survey of the sub-Antarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands before taking Figure 5 is an aerial view of this fi rst CUC radar fi eld station in up his appointment as Chief Physicist at the Dominion Physical the late 1950s. There are several radars in the view. Starting Laboratory of the Department of Scientifi c and Industrial from the bottom right corner, from right to left, the structures Research on 2nd August 1948. Following his interest in are geophysics, he had chosen to enter the new fi eld of geothermal 1. Omnidirectional crossed dipoles for all-sky meteor surveys. research, established to investigate the possible generation of 2. Broadside array for radiant determination. electric power from natural steam bores (Figure 4). Although 3. Broadside rotating (360 deg) array (the fi rst array on the it was a new line of research for both him and the country, he site). showed the same originality and high quality of research as in 4. Bank of eight Yagi arrays for radiant determination. his preceding career. “New Zealand was very fortunate to have 5. 69 MHz receiver and recording hut. a physicist of the calibre of John Banwell to head the team 6. COL 200 MHz radar moved from Wigram RNZAF base which solved these problems” (Dawson, 1989). 7. The hut behind the COL houses the 69MHz GL Mk II transmitter. In 1963 he was a foundation member of the International Heat 8. More Yagis for radiant determination. Flow Commission, under which the academic geothermal 9. Another broadside array for radiants. research on the international scale is organised (Cermak & Lee, 10. The tall poles in the background support the broadside 2004). In August 1968 Banwell attended a meeting convened transmitting array for the partial refl ection atmospheric by UNESCO to discuss training in the new fi eld of geothermal radar operating on 1.75 MHz. development, especially in non-industrialized countries. “The 11. In the far background is the 1.75 MHz circular polarisation experts present at this meeting are a part of geothermal history” receiving array. (Dickson & Fanelli, 1998).

Page 16 Southern Stars Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury:- Grahame Fraser

Figure 5: The original Ellyett and Gregory fi eld station near Rolleston. Both radars were later moved to Birdlings Flat. Photo: UoC Physics and Astronomy In 1965 Ellyett and Gregory left Canterbury to take up Ross Galbreath from whom I fi rst learned about the existence Chairs in Physics elsewhere. Ellyett went to the University of the DSIR WW2 Radar Narrative (Matthews, 1948) and who of Newcastle (Australia) and Gregory went to the University has written extensively on the history of DSIR and RDL. of Saskatchewan (Canada). Ellyett took with him most of his research group, including a staff colleague, Colin Keay, two research students, Brian Fraser and Dick Manchester, and two References technicians. Anon. (1936). Personal Items, Canterbury University College. Press (newspaper), 30 June 1936, Page 8. URL: The meteor and partial refl ection radars were subsequently http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=CHP19 moved to Birdlings Flat (43º50’S 172º40’E) and to different 360630.1.8&e=------10--1----0--. frequencies (respectively 26.2 MHz and 2.4 MHz). The radar meteor research continued, including the investigation of Anon. (1941a). Radio In War - Finding The Enemy. Evening Post, 30 interstellar meteoroids (Baggaley et al. (1994), Baggaley et al. August 1941, Page 8. URL: (2002), Baggaley (2000)). http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP1941 0830.2.39&e=------10--1----0--. In 2016 all Birdlings Flat radars were dismantled and the site cleared. The partial refl ection atmospheric radar wind Anon. (1941b). Radio Location - Talk With Inventor. Evening Post, observations continue at Scott Base (78ºS) (Fraser (1965), 21 July 1941, Page 9. URL: Fraser (1989)). http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP1941 0721.2.118&e=------10-EP-1----0--.

7 Acknowledgements Austin, B. A. (1999). Precursors to radar - the Watson-Watt My thanks to - memorandum and the Daventry experiment. International Journal Of John Banwell’s wife, Margot, and his children Martin and Electrical Engineering Education, 36 , 365-372. Ingrid for providing the relevant family papers for copying. Bacon, G. (2005). Letter to G. J. Fraser. John Hulston, Trevor Hunt, Margaret Low, and Pauline Muir of GNS Science (NZ) for locating Figures 1 and 4, to Tim Bacon, G. E. (1946). Variable-elevation beam-aerial systems for 1.5 O’Brien (Jodrell Bank) for Figure 3 and The Royal Society of metres. Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers - Part IIIA: New Zealand for Figure 2. Radiolocation, 93 , 539-544.

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Baggaley, W. J. (2000). Advanced meteor orbit radar observations Dawson, G. (1989). With the DSIR at Wairakei the fi rst year, March of interstellar meteoroids. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space 1950 to February 1951. In Proceedings of the 11th New Zealand Physics, 105 , 10353-10361. Geothermal Workshop (pp. 255-260). University of Auckland, New Zealand. Baggaley, W. J., Bennett, R. G. T., Marsh, S. H., Plank, G. E., & Galligan, D. P. (2002). Update on new developments of the advanced Dickson, M. H., & Fanelli, M. (1998). Geothermal training centers in meteor orbit radar AMOR. In S. F. Green, I. P. Williams, J. A. M. the world. GHC Bulletin, 19, 19-22. McDonnell, & N. McBride (Eds.), IAU Colloq. 181: Dust in the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems (p. 38). volume 15. Ellyett, C., Keay, C. S. L., Roth, K. W., & Bennett, R. G. T. (1961). The identifi cation of meteor showers with application to southern Baggaley, W. J., Bennett, R. G. T., Steel, D. I., & Taylor, A. D. (1994). hemisphere results. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical The advanced meteor orbit radar facility - AMOR. Quarterly Journal Society, 123 , 37. Of The Royal Astronomical Society, 35 , 293. Ellyett, C., & Stanbury, A. (1961). Multiple-parameter presentation Baird, H. F., & Banwell, C. J. (1940). Recording of air-pressure of radar meteor echoes. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and oscillations associated with microseisms at Christchurch, New Propagation, 9 , 221-221. Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology B, 21 , 314-329. Ellyett, C. D. (1936). A study of the binary system, aniline-o- chlorophenol; part 1, heats of reaction and specifi c heats, part 2, Banwell, C. J. (1931). Propagation of light in a transverse magnetic refractive indices. Master’s thesis Canterbury University College. fi eld. Master’s thesis Canterbury University College. Ellyett, C. D. (1946). Ionospheric research in N. Z. Break-In, 19 , Banwell, C. J. (1946). The use of a common aerial for radar 237-239. transmission and reception on 200 mc/s. Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers - Part IIIA: Radiolocation, 93 , 545-551. Ellyett, C. D. (2003). Letter to G. J. Fraser.

Banwell, C. J. (1947). Improvements in electrical testing apparatus. Ellyett, C. D., & Davies, J. G. (1948). Velocity of Meteors Measured Patent Specifi cation GB584776, . URL: by Diffraction of Radio Waves from Trails during Formation. Nature, http://worldwide.espacenet.com. 161 , 596-597.

Banwell, C. J. (1950). Improvements in or relating to Ellyett, C. D., & Fraser, G. J. (1955). The infl uence of noise on radar telecommunications and radar systems. Patent Specifi cation meteor observations. Australian Journal of Physics, 8 , 273. GB636638, . URL: http://worldwide.espacenet.com. Ellyett, C. D., & Keay, C. S. L. (1956). Radio Echo Observations of Banwell, C. J., & Farr, C. C. (1940). Further investigation of the Meteor Activity in the Southern Hemisphere. Australian Journal of velocity of propagation of light in vacuo in a transverse magnetic fi eld. Physics, 9 , 471. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A-Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 175 , 0001-0025. Ellyett, C. D., & Roth, K. W. (1955). The Radar Determination of Meteor Showers in the Southern Hemispheres. Australian Journal of Banwell, C. J., Westcott, C. H., & Lees, R. J. (1944). Improvements Physics, 8 , 390. in or relating to radio transmitting systems. Patent Specifi cation GB583743, . URL: http://worldwide.espacenet.com. Farr, C. C., & Banwell, C. J. (1932). Velocity of propagation of light in vacuo in a transverse magnetic fi eld. Proceedings of the Royal Brown, L. (1999). A Radar History of World War II. Institute of Society of London Series A-containing papers of a Mathematical and Physics Publishing. Physical Character , 137 , 275-293.

Brown, R. H. (1991). Boffi n. Adam Hilger. Fraser, G. J. (1965). The Measurement of Atmospheric Winds at Altitudes of 64-120 km Using Ground-Based Radio Equipment. Butrica, A. J. (1996). To See the Unseen: a History of Planetary Radar Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 22 , 217-218. Astronomy. The NASA History Series, SP-4218. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. URL: Fraser, G. J. (1989). Monthly mean winds in the mesosphere at 44ºS https://archive.org/details/toseeunseenhisto00butrrich. and 78ºS. Pure and applied geophysics, 130 , 291-301.

Cermak, V., & Lee, W. H. K. (2004). International heat fl ow Fraser, G. J. (2005). The antecedents and subsequent development of commission celebrates 40 years. EOS, 85. scientifi c radar in New Zealand. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar- Terrestrial Physics, 67, 1411-1418. Coop, I. (1945). (Archives NZ) AEKN 19606 W1414 SIRW1414 126 / 70/- 2. Letter to Dr Marsden, Dec, 1945. Fraser, G.J. (2010). Rutherford, Radio, Sonar and Radar. Break-In, 83, 4-6. Davies, J. G., & Ellyett, C. (1949). The diffraction of radio waves from meteor trails and the measurement of meteor velocities. Philosophical Magazine, 40, 614-626. Page 18 Southern Stars Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury:- Grahame Fraser

Galbreath, R. (2000a). Dr Marsden and Admiral Halsey. In J. Lovell, B., & Hurst, D. G. (1988). Wilfred Bennett Lewis. Crawford (Ed.), Kia Kaha (pp.252-263). Oxford: Oxford University Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 34 , 451. Press. Matthews, K. (1948). Narrative No. 3 Radar. Copy No. 3 (Archives Galbreath, R. (2000b). New Zealand Scientists in Action: The Radio Reference: AAOQ W3424 16). Department of Scientifi c and Development Laboratory and the Pacifi c War. In R. M. McLeod Industrial Research World War 2 Narratives. Archives NewZealand (Ed.), Science and the Pacifi c War (pp. 211-230). Dordrecht: Kluwer The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua. URL: http:// Academic Press. digital-library.canterbury.ac.nz/resources/open/ww2_narrative_ radar.pdf . This is a revised URL. Galbreath, R., & Department of Internal Affairs Historical Branch (1998). DSIR: Making Science Work for New Zealand : Themes from McCloskey, J. F. (1987). The Beginnings of Operations Research. the History of the Department of Scientifi c and Industrial Research, Operations Research, 35,143-152. 1926-1992 . Victoria University Press. Minnett, H. C., & Robinson, S. R. (1996). Sir Frederick William Gardner, F. F., & Pawsey, J. L. (1953). Study of the ionospheric George White, C.B.E. 26 May1905-17 August 1994. Biographical D-region using partial refl ections. Journal of Atmospheric and Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 42 , 496-521. Terrestrial Physics, 3 , 321. Munns, D. P. D. (2013). A Single Sky. The MIT Press. Gregory, J. B. (1956). Ionospheric Refl ections from Heights below the E Region. Australian Journal of Physics, 9, 324. Offi ce of the NZ Minister for Defence (13 June 1946). Mentioned-in- despatches. Supplement to the London Gazette. Gregory, J. B., & Coombs, J. S. (1943). Report on pre-amplifi er for GCI stations. Technical Report RD 1/146 Radio Development Orchiston, W. (Ed.) (2005). The new astronomy : opening the Laboratory. electromagnetic window and expanding our view of planet earth : a meeting to honor Woody Sullivan on his 60th birthday, volume 334 of Gunn, A. G. (2005). Jodrell Bank and the Meteor Velocity Astrophysics and Space Science Library. Controversy. In W. Orchiston (Ed.), The New Astronomy: Opening The Electromagnetic Window and Expanding Our View of Planet Parry, C. (1940). Still Secret - British Tactics. Auckland Star, 23 Earth. Springer volume 334 of Astrophysics and Space Science February 1940, Page 8. URL: Library. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=AS1940 0223.1.8&e=------10--1----0--. Holman, B. (2014). The Next War in the Air. Ashgate. Peddie, G. A. (1937). Results of ionospheric observations at Hunt, T. (2015). Letter to G. J. Fraser. Wellington, New Zealand. In Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science, Auckland Meeting, January. Jarrell, R. (2005). Radio Astronomy, Whatever That May Be: The Marginalization of Early Radio Astronomy. In W. Orchiston Penley, W. (1993). The Early Days of Radar in the UK. URL: (Ed.), The New Astronomy: Opening The Electromagnetic Window http://www.purbeckradar.org.uk/story/documents/early_radar.pdf. and Expanding Our View of Planet Earth. Springer volume 334 of Astrophysics and Space Science Library. Penley, W. (2003a). search for fi le: 4 dundee.pdf. In RadAr 02 01 January 2003 [CD-ROM]. URL: Judkins, P. (2012). Making Vision into Power: Power Struggles and http://www.penleyradararchives.org.uk. Personality Clashes in British Radar, 1935-1941. The International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology, 82, 93-124. Penley, W. (2003b). search for fi le: 5 swanage.pdf. In RadAr 02 01 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/175812111X13188557854044. January 2003 [CD-ROM]. URL: http://www.penleyradararchives.org.uk. Kraus, J. D. (1988). Antennas. (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill. Penley, W. (2003c). search for fi le: chart feb.pdf. In RadAr 02 01 Latham, C., & Stobbs, A. (Eds.) (2011). The Birth of British Radar: January 2003 [CD-ROM]. URL: The memoirs of Arnold ‘Skip’ Wilkins OBE. (2nd ed.). Radio Society http://www.penleyradararchives.org.uk. of Great Britain in association with the Defence Electronics History Society. Prentice, J., Lovell, A., & Banwell, C. (1947). Radio echo observations of meteors. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 107 Lovell, A. C. B. (1992). Astronomer by Chance. Oxford University , 155-163. Press. Ross, J. (1955). The Royal New Zealand Air Force. Offi cial history Lovell, A. C. B., & Banwell, C. J. (1946). Abnormal solar radiation on of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939-1945. Wellington, 72 megacycles. Nature, 158, 517-518. N.Z.: War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs. URL: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2AirF.html Lovell, A. C. B., Banwell, C. J., & Clegg, J. A. (1947). Radio echo Radar developments in Chapters 9 and 15. observations of the Giacobinid meteors 1946. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 107 , 164-175. 55, 4, 2016 December Page 19 Early Meteor Radar Astronomy at Jodrell Bank and Canterbury:- Grahame Fraser

Seed, T. J., & Ellyett, C. D. (1958). Low Latitude Refl ections from ADDENDUM - Ionosondes the Aurora Australis. Australian Journal of Physics, 11 , 126. The Physics & Astronomy Department of the Univsersity of Canterbury used to operate an ionosonde at both Eyrewell Sullivan, W. (2009). Cosmic Noise: a history of early radio astronomy. (about 30km northwest of Christchurch ) and at Scott Base in Cambridge University Press. the Antarctic. The ionosonde programme was taken over by the Department after the disestablishment of the DSIR in the Swords, S. (1986). Technical history of the beginnings of radar. late 1980’s. History of technology series. P. Peregrinus on behalf of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Unfortunately the LandCorp site at Eyrewell was converted to a large dairy farm in early 2014 shortly after the instrument The National Archives of the UK (TNA) (a). RDF for Dominions: had been replaced with a state of the art CADI system. Once New Zealand, AVIA7/672. a new site is secured it is envisaged that New Zealand will again have a ground based method of detemining the local The National Archives of the UK (TNA) (b). Use of common aerial for ionospheric conditions essential for some remote search and transmission and reception Part I (AVIA7/78) and Part II (AVIA7/79). rescue missions. Currently the closest ionosonde is in Australia leaving all of NZ, and it’s vast surrounding oceans reliant on Unwin, R. S. (1992). The development of radar in New Zealand in model output. World War II. IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, 34 , 31-39. An ionosonde is a swept frequency vertical sounding radar. Walker, I. K. (2014). Radar at the River Plate. In Battle of the River The time delay of the echoes from the ionosphere give Plate Commemorative Booklet. Royal New Zealand Navy. URL: information on the electron density in the ionosphere. The http://www.navy.mil.nz/downloads/pdf/white-ensign/battle-of-the- ionogram (picture produced by an ionosonde) displays the time river-plate-commemorative-booklet.pdf. to receipt of an echo on the vertical axis against frequency on the horizontal axis. Ionograms are recorded typically every Waters, S. D. (1956). The Royal New Zealand Navy. Offi cial history 5 minutes for good temporal resolution. of New Zealand in the Second World war 1939-1945. Wellington, N.Z.: War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs. URL: Ionosondes are operated at several locations by IPS in http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Navy.html Australia. IPS, a unit of the Australian Government Bureau Chapter 28 is “Development of Radar”. of Meteorology, provides the Australian radio propagation and space environment services. Current and recent ionograms White, F. W. G. (1975). Early work in Australia, New Zealand and at for all automated sites may be viewed using the Java applet the Halley Stewart Laboratory, London. Philosophical Transactions provided on the IPS site. of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/HF_Systems/1/3 Sciences, 280 , 35-46. Data archives on fi lm dating from the earliest ionosonde in White, F. W. G., Banwell, C. J., & Peddie, G. A. (1940). Measurements 1938 until the early 1990’s are held at the New Zealand Film of F2-region ionization over New Zealand. Terrestrial Magnetism Archives unit. and Electricity, 45 , 37-43. The remaining Scott Base ionosonde is maintained under an White, F. W. G., Skey, H. F., & Geddes, M. (1938). Radio fadeouts, IPS contract to the Department of Physics. auroras and magnetic storms. Nature, 142, 289.

White, F. W. G., & Straker, T. W. (1939). The diurnal variation of absorption of wireless waves. Proceedings of the Physical Society, 51 , 865-875.

Wood, D., & Dempster, D. (2010) The Narrow Margin. Pen & Sword.

Zimmerman, D. (2004). Information and the air defence revolution, 1917-40. Journal of Strategic Studies, 27, 370-394.

Zimmerman, D. (2013). Radar. Amberley Publishing.

Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140 New Zealand [email protected] This shows the ionosonde at Scott Base. To the right is a geomagnetism recorder from GNS Science.

Page 20 Southern Stars Concerning Heritage Telescopes:- William Tobin Concerning Heritage Telescopes

William Tobin Book and Heritage Review

I introduce the magnifi cent Wolf collection of historic telescopes and its newly-published catalogue. Along the way I survey some of the oldest telescopes in New Zealand, and uncover a fortuitous link with the Wolf collection. Wolf Telescopes: A Collection of Historical Telescopes all these makers bar Cooke.1 But that does not mean Ed’s by Edward D. Wolf telescopes are all small – the biggest (or rather, longest) is an Trumansburg, New York: The Author, 2016 365 pages 18th-century 3½-inch refractor signed by the Dollond fi rm in Hardback 286 x 221 mm ISBN: 978-0-9980037-1-9 London with a remarkable 12-foot tube. The original objective US$125 + p&p has been lost, but the enormous focal length suggests that it Also available, an earlier softcover edition was not an achromat for which the Dollonds were so famous. US$85 + p&p (Another telescope is signed “Dolland” – Order through www.wolftelescopes.com doubtless by some faker hoping to profi t from confusion with the Dollond reputation.) Nor What do people do in their retirement? Some has Ed collected specialised instruments such as write reviews for Southern Stars. Others, like the transit telescopes or the Danjon Impersonal Ed Wolf, collect vintage telescopes. Wolf Astrolabe that survive in Wellington. Telescopes is the beautiful illustrated catalogue of Ed’s magnifi cent collection. With postage, The Wolf collection is nevertheless broad, a printed copy will cost serious money – over representing the work of some seventy makers $200 – but do not despair. Most of the material in eight countries. All but eight instruments are is available on the author’s website, at least for signed. The collection boasts examples from the next year or two. many of the famous English, French, German and American fi rms, such as Adams, Bardou, Ed is an emeritus professor at Cornell University Alvan Clark, Dollond, Grubb Parsons, Lemaire, in the United States, who after a doctorate Lerebours & Secretan and successors, Mailhat, in physical chemistry worked in diverse Merz, Nairne, Negretti & Zambra, Passemant, fi elds including the aerospace industry and Plössl, Ramsden, Short, Steinheil, Troughton & nanotechnology. Since 2001 he has collected Simms, Utzschneider & Fraunhofer, and Zeiss. an astounding 111 telescopes, which averages to a new one every six weeks! The collection is focused, one might say, on astronomical telescopes, but includes some for terrestrial use (or with terrestrial eyepieces), a handful of binoculars, and three surveying instruments.

Wolf Telescopes is a joint production between Ed, his wife Marlene (who proof-read), his daughter Shelly (responsible for the layout of both book and website), grand-daughter Hannah (who made dimensional measurements and helped with the collection), and photographer Gary L. Hodges, who over two years snapped the 1,500 images that illustrate the work. These crystal-clear photographs are superb, and as Ed Ed Wolf with his notes, technically diffi cult, often requiring a large depth of restored and fi eld on objects composed of parts with signifi cantly-different renovated 12-foot refl ectivities. Dollond refractor. Original brasswork Ed began his collection with tripod-mounted refractors, the near the eyepiece archetypal amateur instrument. His idea was that collecting indicated a missing was an investment activity. It soon turned into an addictive stabilising rod hobby. The range of telescope types widened, though pedestal- and hence a lost mounted instruments were excluded for obvious practical stand. Ed has reasons. So thinking of historic telescopes in New Zealand, made replacements. there are no telescopes akin to the 18-inch Brashear refractor As pictured, the still in store in Canterbury or the large Cooke, Grubb or Zeiss objective is almost refractors in Wellington, W(h)anganui and Christchurch, 5 metres off the though the collection does contain smaller telescopes by ground.

55, 4, 2016 December Page 21 Concerning Heritage Telescopes:- William Tobin

The most modern instrument dates from the 21st century, a The Wolf collection includes the next telescope to have come 90-mm Questar refl ecting telescope made for the company’s out of Short’s workshop, and it is of the same size, formula 50th anniversary in 2002. The majority are signifi cantly older, “171/1087 = 18”. The date is no longer explicit, but from the from the 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest (and one of the serial numbers of extant instruments, some of which can be prettiest) is a Japanese spyglass, with a ¾-inch objective lens dated by surviving invoices and the like (Willach, 2007), it and a peony and ivy decoration on the tube and draws. It is can be deduced that the Space Place and Wolf telescopes were signed Mori Nizaemon Masatomi, who is unknown. If he is an both made in 1758.2 The Wellington one once belonged to older relative of telescope-maker Mori Nizaemon Masakatsu renowned TV astronomer Peter Read (1923-1981), who bought (1673-1754), then the telescope might just date from as early it from a now-forgotten Aucklander in 1970 for a sum cited as as 1690. If so, the Wolf collection includes telescopes from £100, even though this was three years after decimalisation. fi ve different centuries, which is the most you can aspire to. On display at Space Place since the exhibition devoted to Read in 2011, it has recently become a permanent feature, the initial This raises the question “Which is the oldest telescope in loan by his son Adam having generously been turned into a New Zealand?” One can never know what may be in private gift this September (for a short video, see Space Place, 2016).3 hands, but the prime candidate must be the small Gregorian telescope held by the Otago Museum. Appropriately enough The Space Place and Wolf Shorts are superfi cially similar to for Dunedin, it was made in Edinburgh by the Scottish optician the other contender for Aotearoa’s second-oldest telescope. James Short (1710-1768). Short only ever made refl ecting This too is a Gregorian, now at Te Papa, which Wayne telescopes. Most of them are Gregorians, which produce an Orchiston (2016) believes is probably the instrument used for upright image useful for terrestrial as well as celestial use. He an observation of the 1769 Transit of Venus made from Tahiti engraved each with a ‘formula,’ which for the Otago refl ector by Daniel Solander, the naturalist on Cook’s fi rst voyage to the is “1736 41/93”. This indicates that the instrument dates from South Seas. However, the Te Papa instrument differs in detail. 1736, that it was the 41st telescope of this size, and the 93rd of Its primary mirror is bigger, being 5 inches in diameter, and it any size, made by Short. The primary mirror has a diameter of has a correspondingly longer tube, and levelling screws in its 59 mm (close to 2⅓ inches) while its focal length must be about feet. Most signifi cantly, it was made by a different London 9 inches. Previously owned by John Campbell Begg, who was fi rm, Heath & Wing. It must thus have been made between instrumental in setting up the Beverly-Begg Observatory, it 1751, when Thomas Heath and Tycho Wing began trading was donated to the Otago Museum by his son John Wyndham together, and 1768 when the Endeavour left Plymouth, if it Begg. Prior to Short, almost all telescopes were refractors, so is indeed Solander’s telescope, or otherwise 1773, the year even if not the oldest telescope in the country, it is likely to in which Heath’s death and Wing’s retirement put an end to be the oldest refl ector. It is also a very early Short: the oldest the fi rm. The Space Place and Te Papa telescopes are thus known is only two years its senior (Willach, 2001). Thanks to of similar age, but additional evidence would be needed to a grant from Dunedin’s Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and determine which is older. Quantum Technologies, this 280 year-old telescope is being restored and should soon be on public display. There are many small telescopes in museums around New Zealand, inventoried on the websites www.nzmuseums.co.nz There are two contenders for New Zealand’s second oldest and ehive.com. Most are nautical spyglasses that look to date telescope, both in Wellington. One is another, larger Short from the 19th century. Only a few carry a maker’s mark – Gregorian, on display in the foyer at Space Place (formerly Bodson, Dollond, Wm Hogg, J.H. Steward and Wray. That only the Carter Observatory). It has roughly a 4-inch diameter Dollond and Steward appear amongst Ed’s seventy makers is primary mirror, an alt-azimuth mount, and a pillar and scroll- an indication of how many telescope-making businesses there leg support. By the time it was made, Short had moved to once were in the world. London and had changed the form of his formula. The Space Place formula is “170/1086 = 18”, which means that this is In amassing his collection, Ed gave preference to instruments the 1086th telescope made by him, and the 170th with a that had retained associated accessories – multiple eyepieces, primary mirror of about 18-inches focal length. Guess what? solar and coloured fi lters, micrometers, dust caps, storage boxes, tripods and the like. The images in the catalogue thus provide valuable guidance concerning these items which have often been lost. As necessary, the telescopes were cleaned, repaired or restored. A long section of before-and-after photographs and text details some of these restorations along with a ‘Do’s and Dont’s’ list. “In general, don’t restore!” advises Ed, but if you must, his recommendations include carpeting the workshop fl oor (to preserve dropped optics), keeping two hands on the screwdriver with slotted-head screws (to prevent deep scratches from a slip), having a plentiful supply of zip-lock plastic bags (for storing small parts), and getting to know the local musical-instrument repairer (because such people really The components of the James Short Gregorian telescope know brass). Other chapters compare makers’ signatures, held by the Otago Museum. It is currently being restored. mounts and tripods, and ocular focusers. Photo: Courtesy Ian Griffi n, Otago Museum

Page 22 Southern Stars Concerning Heritage Telescopes:- William Tobin

Footnotes 1. Concerning the 6-inch Townsend-Teece Cooke refractor damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes, restoration is proceeding apace. See Pollard (2016) for a report and photographs.

2. The Space Place Short does not appear in Willach’s list (2007), which does however include a telescope “180/1068=18” belonging to an “unknown private owner.” This formula cannot be correct, because the National Museum of Scotland holds instrument “180/1098=18”. Willach takes “180/1068=18” to be a transcription error for “170/1068=18”. The Space Place instrument “170/1086=18” shows this cannot be correct either, but could 1068 be a second transcription error (for 1086), and the Space Place telescope be the private-ownership instrument incorrectly reported as “180/1068=18”? Julie Orford of One of the most visually stunning telescopes in the National Museums Scotland has examined the fi les dating Wolf collection is this Foucault-Secretan refl ector with a back to the 1960s from which the Willach list was compiled, 4-(French)-inch mirror and walnut alt-azimuth mounting. and the answer is “No.” “180/1098=18” appears to have been Commercial production of this fi rst silvered-glass mis-recorded in a preliminary list as “180/1068=18”, possibly telescope began in 1858 so the telescope, numbered because if seen upside down or at an angle the 9 could have 4, must date from about then. A round label signed by been confused with a 6. This was corrected in a second list, but Foucault guarantees authenticity. the error was reintroduced when the two lists were combined The 29 fl oor-standing refractors in the Wolf collection are to form the list published by Willach. The conclusion must be typical of what wealthy amateurs would have possessed. Ed that the Space Place telescope is a previously-unrecorded Short fi nds it hard to choose a fl agship instrument among them refl ector. – telescopes by Bardou, Alvan Clark and others vie for this honour. One of the candidates is shown on Wolf Telescope’s 3. Peter Read was the donor behind another historic telescope cover. It is a 3½-inch Dollond from c.1830 with a candle or oil in Wellington, a 6-inch Cooke & Sons refractor dating from the lamp to illuminate a Troughton & Simms fi lar micrometer. Ed early 20th century. The optics were rebuilt by Gary Nankivell in is more certain as to which are the “visually most spectacular” the 1960s. Loaned for some years to the Phoenix Astronomical telescopes in his collection. These are two silvered-glass, Society, it is currently in store at Space Place with hopes for table-top refl ecting telescopes made by the Secretan company early reassembly and display. in Paris in collaboration with Léon Foucault (1819-1868), of pendulum fame. Foucault is the father of the telescope in its modern form with a glass or ceramic mirror that during References polishing is tested and corrected to obtain optical perfection. Orchiston, W., 2016. The ‘Cook’ Gregorian telescope in the Museum His signature graces the older of the two instruments. Indeed – of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. In Orchiston, W., Exploring the full disclosure here – it was these two refl ectors, and a third on a History of New Zealand Astronomy, Cham: Springer. Pp. 207-226. tripod, that brought me to Ed’s collection. Trying in retirement Pollard, K., 2016. Great progress on the Townsend-Teece Telescope to put my accumulated specialist knowledge onto paper (or restoration project. Physics & Astronomy Department Fortnightly rather, into the bytes of the cloud), I have recently published an Newsletter, 33 (36), 2 (October 14). On-line at www.phys.canterbury. open-access article on the evolution of these telescopes (Tobin, ac.nz/newsletter 2016). Ed and his telescopes provided essential data. Space Place, 2016. Space Place are now the proud owners... In summary, I heartily recommend consulting Wolf Telescopes, Video posted September 11 on www.facebook.com/spaceplacenz/ or the associated website, to explore this wonderful collection videos/10154606882605513/ further and to look for links with other heritage instruments. The collection has just been bought by the Beijing Planetarium. Tobin, W., 2016. Evolution of the Foucault-Secretan refl ecting telescope. Journal of Astronomical History & Heritage, 19, 106-184. It is expected that it will be put on public display at the Beijing On-line via adsabs.harvard.edu Ancient Observatory, founded in 1442, and now run as a museum affi liated with the Planetarium. If you are visiting Willach, R., 2001. James Short and the development of the refl ecting China’s capital, the Wolf collection will be a highlight. telescope. Journal of the Antique Telescope Society, 20, 3-18. On- line via adsabs.harvard.edu

Willach, R., 2007. List of extant refl ecting telescopes made by James Acknowledgments Short. Journal of the Antique Telescope Society, 29, 10-22. On-line I thank Catherine Crisp (Space Place), Ian Griffi n (Otago via adsabs.harvard.edu Museum) and Alison Morrison-Low & Julie Orford (National Museums Scotland) for information concerning Short 6 rue Saint Louis, 56000 Vannes, France telescopes. [email protected]

55, 4, 2016 December Page 23 INDEX Volume 55

2015 JUNE 29 OCCULTATION BY PLUTO, THE, Brian Loader 2, 10 6” NANKIVELL REFRACTOR, A, Peter Knowles 4, 3 ASTRONOMY AND ME! Joshua Daglish 2, 6 ASTRONOMY AND WORLD HERITAGE INIATIVE, THE, john Hearnshaw 3, 3 ASTRONOMY FROM ANTARCTICA, Matthew Freeman 1, 3 Bohlsen, Terry, Stan Walker, Neil Butterworth, Giorgio di Scala, Peter Williams THE MULTIPLE PERIODS OF L2 PUPPIS 4, 5 BOOK REVIEW - EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND ASTRONOMY, John Drummond 2, 22 Butterworth, Neil, Stan Walker, Terry Bohlsen, Giorgio di Scala, Peter Williams, THE MULTIPLE PERIODS OF L2 PUPPIS 4, 5 CHOOSING BETWEEN ALTERNATIVE MICROLENSING MODELS, Ashna Sharan and Nicholas J Rattenbury 3, 14 CONCERNING HERITAGE TELESCOPES, William Tobin 4, 21 Daglish, Joshua, ASTRONOMY AND ME! 2, 6 di Scala, Giorgio, Stan Walker, Neil Butterworth, Terry Bohlsen, Peter Williams, THE MULTIPLE PERIODS OF L2 PUPPIS 4, 5 EARLY METEOR RADAR ASTRONOMY AT JODRELL BANK AND CANTERBURY, Grahame Fraser 4, 11 Evans, R W, ZODIAC STAMPS 1, 9 FIRST ANNUAL CENTRAL STAR PARTY, THE, Ursula Macfarlane, Otto Gruebl, George Ionas 1, 7 Fraser, Grahame, EARLY METEOR RADAR ASTRONOMY AT JODRELL BANK AND CANTERBURY 4, 11 Freeman, Matthew, ASTRONOMY FROM ANTARCTICA 1, 3 Gruebl, Otto, Ursula Macfarlane, George Ionas, THE FIRST ANNUAL CENTRAL STAR PARTY 1, 7 Hearnshaw, John, THE ASTRONOMY AND WORLD HERITAGE INIATIVE 3, 3 Hearnshaw, John, RASNZ LONG-TERM PLAN 2016-25 1, 10 Hearnshaw, John, STUDENTS WITH A PASSION FOR ASTRONOMY AT THE RASNZ NAPIER CONFERENCE 3, 13 Ionas, George, Ursular Macfarlane, Otto Gruebl, THE FIRST ANNUAL CENTRAL STAR PARTY 1, 7 JENNIE McCORMICK - FRASNZ, MNZM 2, 18 Kharbanda, Anushka, QUASARS - THE BRIGHTEST OBJECTS IN THE UNIVERSE 2, 3 Knowles, Peter, A 6” NANKIVELL REFRACTOR 4, 3 Loader, Brian, THE 2015 JUNE 29 OCCULTATION BY PLUTO 2, 10 Macfarlane, Ursula, Otto Gruebl, George Ionas, THE FIRST ANNUAL CENTRAL STAR PARTY 1, 7 MULTIPLE PERIODS OF L2 PUPPIS, THE, Stan Walker, Neil Butterworth, Terry Bohlsen, Giorgio di Scala, Peter Williams 4, 5 MURRAY GEDDES PRIZE - DAVE COCHRANE, 2, 17 Nicholls, Brent, SN 2015h: THE MOST LUMINOUS SUPERNOVA DISCOVERED 2, 7 NORMAN DICKIE 2, 5 NORMAN DICKIE 100 YEARS 2ND OCTOBER 2016, Ashley Pennell 4, 10 Parker, Justine, SLOPE POINT HILL TOP RADAR STATION 3, 7 Pennell, Ashley, NORMAN DICKIE 100 YEARS 2ND OCTOBER 2016 4, 10 QUASARS - THE BRIGHTEST OBJECTS IN THE UNIVERSE, Anushka Kharbanda 2, 3 RASNZ ANNUAL REPORT OF COUNCIL FOR 2015 1, 12 RASNZ LONG-TERM PLAN 2016-25, John Hearnshaw 1, 10 Rattenbury, Nicholas J, and Ashna Sharan, CHOOSING BETWEEN ALTERNATIVE MICROLENSING MODELS 3, 14 Sharan, Ashna, and Nicholas J Rattenbury, CHOOSING BETWEEN ALTERNATIVE MICROLENSING MODELS 3, 14 SLOPE POINT HILL TOP RADAR STATION, Justine Parker 3, 7 SN 2015h: THE MOST LUMINOUS SUPERNOVA DISCOVERED, Brent Nicholls 2, 7 STUDENTS WITH A PASSION FOR ASTRONOMY AT THE RASNZ NAPIER CONFERENCE, John Hearnshaw 3, 13 Tobin, William, CONCERNING HERITAGE TELESCOPES 4, 21 Walker, Stan, Neil Butterworth, Terry Bohlsen, Giorgio di Scala, Peter Williams, THE MULTIPLE PERIODS OF L2 PUPPIS 4, 5 ZODIAC STAMPS, R W Evans 1, 9

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