Accession No
1252
Brief Description
brass Thorp direct vision spectroscope, by R. and J. Beck Ltd., English, 1930 (c)
Origin
England; London
Maker
R. and J. Beck Ltd.
Class
optical
Earliest Date
1930
Latest Date
1930
Inscription Date
Material
metal (brass, oxidised brass); glass; paper (card and one other)
Dimensions
minimum length 47mm; diameter 13mm case height 52mm; diameter 18mm.
Special Collection
Cavendish collection
Provenance
Transferred from the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 1974.
Inscription
‘THORP’S
D.V. DIFFRACTION SPECTROSCOPE
R & J. BECK. LTD’ (on tube)
Description Notes
Miniature direct vision microscope. Brass, one draw tube. Oxidised brass mounts either end.
Cylindrical card slip case with pushfit lid.
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:40368
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