Accession No
3690
Brief Description
single-prism star spectroscope, by John Browning, English, c. 1865
Origin
England; London
Maker
Browning, John
Class
optical
Earliest Date
1865
Latest Date
1865
Inscription Date
Material
glass; metal (brass)
Dimensions
length 400mm; breadth 205mm; depth 90mm; box length 490mm; breadth 140mm; height 118mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Historical Technology Inc, 1988.
Inscription
‘John Browning London’ (along one arm)
Description Notes
Single-prism star spectroscope, by John Browning, English, c. 1865.
Single prism type of star spectroscope, mounted for direct attachment to the eye-end of an astronomical telescope. Brass instrument with screw-fit mounting stand.
Condition: good; complete.
References
Events
Description
Spectroscope
In 1814 Joseph von Fraunhofer noticed that the sun’s spectrum, when dispersed by a glass prism, is crossed by hundreds of fine dark lines. These lines could be used to determine the chemical composition of the sun, stars and many other substances by spectral analysis. The first photograph of the spectrum of a star (Vega) was made by Henry Draper using a spectroscope in 1872.
There are various different forms of spectroscope, but all use a slit and collimator to make a parallel beam of light, a prism for dispersing different wavelengths and a telescope to observe the dispersed spectrum.
18/10/2002
Created by: Saffron Clackson on 18/10/2002
FM:45082
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