The School Telescope

tiny part of the Third World and some of its problems; we had shared the experience of desert travel and its scenic splendour; finally, we had established a bond of self-reliant comradeship in circumstances which, though testing, we now look back upon with an appealing sense of nostalgia. M.P.K.

As part of the 1350 Anniversary celebrations, the School has bought an astronomical telescope. Originally, the School was intending to buy a 5-inch reflector telescope, but the School governors were finally persuaded to buy an 8-inch, Cassegrain-type reflecting telescope made by Celestron in the United States. The telescope is equipped with a tripod, a star diagonal, and several lenses, and cost just over £800. The design of the telescope is as follows:—

Light passes through the correcting lens of the telescope on to the main mirror. The size of this parabolic mirror determines the amount of light collected, and also the resolving power of the telescope—the larger the mirror, the smaller the angular separation between stars which can be resolved (i.e. seen as two stars instead of one). The light is reflected from the main mirror to the secondary mirror, which then reflects the light through a hole in the main mirror. An image is produced by these mirrors, and the eyepiece then magnifies the image.

8 INCH DIAMETER PARABOLIC MIRROR

SECONDARY CONVEX MIRROR LIGHT BEAM

The telescope also has a finder telescope (which has a magnifying power of x6) with cross-hairs, so that celestial objects can be found more easily—if the object concerned is positioned at the intersection of the two cross-hairs in the finder scope, it is then in the field of view of the main telescope. The main telescope is equatorially mounted, and also has a small electric motor which makes it rotate once on its axis in 23 hours 56 minutes. This means that, if the telescope is properly set up with the electric motor running, it will follow any star (or planet) in the sky without further adjustment.

The telescope is kept in a locked cupboard which has been built on the roof of the Science Block. It can be used during the holidays, since the key for the cupboard can be borrowed from the Bursar. However, the telescope has to be returned to the cupboard before 10.30 p.m., which can create problems, since, for much of the year it is still not properly dark at that time.

This telescope is an excellent instrument, and useful astronomical work can be carried out with one of this size. The lenses with the telescope allow magnifications varying between x40 and x500. With the telescope, much detail will be observable on the surface of the Moon; transits, occultations, and eclipses of four moons of Jupiter, five moons of Saturn, two moons of Uranus, and one moon of Neptune, can be observed; detail on the surfaces of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn can be observed; many star clusters, double stars, variable stars, nebulae, and galaxies can also be seen. The telescope can also be used to observe eclipses, comets, novae, and asteriods.

This telescope is an excellent buy, and, if used to full effect by the members of the School, should be a great asset.

R.E.C.

Fencing

The death of Mr. Power was a particularly severe blow to School Fencing, for which he did so much.

Fortunately the School secured the services of Mr. Norman Millar as coach, and fencing has continued to thrive.

In the Public Schools competition, the School Captain, C. J. E. Bird, reached the semi-final of the Junior Foil, and G. W. Tait, who came 4th in the Senior Foil, was again selected to fence for Great Britain in Israel.