Merz Telescopes: A Global Heritage Worth Preserving (historical & Cultural Astronomy)
by Ileana Chinnici /
2017 / English / PDF
9 MB Download
This book comprises a fascinating collection of contributions on
the Merz telescopes in Italy that collectively offer the first
survey on historical large refracting telescopes in the country,
drawing on original documents and photographs. It opens with a
general introduction on the importance of Merz telescopes in the
history of astronomy and analyses of the local and international
contexts in which the telescopes were made. After examination of
an example of the interaction between the maker and the
astronomer in the construction and maintenance of these
refractors, the history of the Merz telescopes at the main
Italian observatories in the nineteenth century is described in
detail. Expert testimony is also provided on how these telescopes
were successfully used until the second half of the twentieth
century for research purposes, thus proving their excellent
optical qualities.
This book comprises a fascinating collection of contributions on
the Merz telescopes in Italy that collectively offer the first
survey on historical large refracting telescopes in the country,
drawing on original documents and photographs. It opens with a
general introduction on the importance of Merz telescopes in the
history of astronomy and analyses of the local and international
contexts in which the telescopes were made. After examination of
an example of the interaction between the maker and the
astronomer in the construction and maintenance of these
refractors, the history of the Merz telescopes at the main
Italian observatories in the nineteenth century is described in
detail. Expert testimony is also provided on how these telescopes
were successfully used until the second half of the twentieth
century for research purposes, thus proving their excellent
optical qualities.
