Article ID: CBB805527244

Trust in Glass: Negotiating the Purchase of the Object Glass for the Airy Transit Circle (2020)

unapi

The Airy Transit Circle of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich is one of the most important instruments in the history of astronomy, navigation and time distribution. However, there has been very little research done on the history of the instrument. This article examines how the purchase of the object glass for the Airy Transit Circle involved active negotiations between George Biddell Airy and three different opticians: Georg Merz, Noel Paymal Lerebours, and William Simms. The article also shows the involvement of John Herschel and Richard Sheepshanks in Airy’s decision making process. By highlighting the presence of these individuals, the article shows how Airy’s trust and distrust in different instrument makers influenced his choice of supplier for the object glass of the Airy Transit Circle.

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Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB805527244/

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Authors & Contributors
Belteki, Daniel
Ishibashi, Yuto
Jürgen Kost
Spiegel, Richard J.
Courtney, Stephen
Ackermann, Silke
Concepts
Scientific apparatus and instruments
Astronomy
Instrument makers
Science and technology, relationships
Instruments, navigational
Astronomical observatories
Time Periods
19th century
20th century
20th century, early
18th century
17th century
16th century
Places
Great Britain
England
British Isles
Germany
United States
Italy
Institutions
Royal Observatory Greenwich
Great Britain. Royal Navy
Dutch East India Company
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