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Trivandrum Observatory
The Trivandrum Observatory or Thiruvananthapuram Astronomical Observatory is a scientific and astronomical observation station that was established by the Raja of Travancore Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma in 1836-37. The Raja wrote to the British Resident, Colonel James Stuart Fraser, an amateur scientist proposing the establishment of an astronomical observatory. This led to John Caldecott who earlier ran a small personal observatory at Allepey being appointed as the royal astronomer. The observatory was located on the highest point in the city and opposite the palace and was considered important as the magnetic equator at that time passed through Trivandrum. The observatory was designed by Lieutenant W H Horsley of the Madras Engineers. Caldecott also began taking meteorological measurements from July 1837 and expanded to another building in 1842 that housed a Dollond equatorial circle. A ''Travancore Almanac'' was published in 1838. Caldecott travelled to Europe in 1839 to obtai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Historically, observatories were as simple as containing an astronomical sextant (for measuring the distance between stars) or Stonehenge (which has some alignments on astronomical phenomena). Astronomical observatories Astronomical observatories are mainly divided into four categories: space-based, airborne, ground-based, and underground-based. Ground-based observatories Ground-based observatories, located on the surface of Earth, are used to make observations in the radio and visible light portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Most optical telescopes are housed within a dome or similar structure, to protect the delicate instruments from the elements. Telescope domes have a slit or other opening in the roof that can be opened during ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള് രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 400 classical compositions in both Carnatic and Hindustani style.http://print.achuth.googlepages.com/SwathiThirunalandSciencev3.0.pdf A well-formulated code of laws, courts of justice, introduction of English education, construction of an observatory, installation of the first Government printing press, establishment of the first manuscripts library were amongst the many initiatives taken by Svāti Tirunāḷ, as a King, to modernise Travancore. Early life Svāti Tirunāḷ was born into the Venad dynasty of the Matrilineal royal family of Travancore, which is now a part of Kerala, on 16 April 1813. He was the second child of Queen Gowri Lakshmi Bayi who ruled Travancore from 1811 to 1815, and Raja Raja Varma Koil Thampuran of C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Stuart Fraser
General James Stuart Fraser (1 July 1783 – 22 August 1869) was a British army officer in the Madras army in India. He was involved in the Coorg War of 1834 and the town of Kushalnagar was for sometime named after him as Fraserpet. James was born at Edinburgh, the youngest son of Colonel Charles Fraser belonging to the Clan Fraser of Lovat, a naval officer who later joined the Madras army who died at Masulipatnam on 5 May 1795. James was one of six sons and three daughters through his wife Isabella Hook. James went to school at Ham, Surrey before joining Glasgow University where he showed a talent in languages and astronomy. Joining as a cadet, he went to India in 1799 and became a lieutenant in the 18th Madras native infantry by December 1800 before becoming an aide-de-camp to Sir George Barlow. His knowledge of French led him to be involved in discussions and negotiations with the French in Pondicherry. While posted at Pondicherry, he married Henrietta James at Cuddalore on 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Caldecott
John Caldecott (16 September 1801 – 16 December 1849, Trivandrum) was an East India Company commercial agent, meteorologist and astronomer who worked in the court of the Raja of Travancore at the Trivandrum Observatory. Caldecott was born in Finsbury in London where his father, also John, and mother Susannah lived. He was christened on 1 November 1801 at St Luke's Church. John Caldecott (junior) went to India in 1820 on the ''Mulgrave Castle'' and reached Bombay in May 1821. He worked at Apollo Cotton as an assistant to Daniel West who was a family friend. A relative, William West had an interest in telescopes and microscopes as an evening amusement and this sparked off a scientific interest in John Caldecott. In 1832 he was posted as a commercial agent at the Indian port of Allepey (now Alappuzha) and he saw the need for an astronomical observatory there. This idea was aired in 1836, supported by the Resident Colonel James Stuart Fraser and approved by Raja Swathi Thirunal Rama ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Allan Broun
John Allan Broun FRS (21 September 1817 – 22 November 1879) was a Scottish scientist with interests in magnetism, particularly of the earth, and meteorology. Broun studied in Edinburgh University and worked at the observatory in Makerstoun from 1842 to 1849 before moving to India to work in the Kingdom of Travancore. He continued his studies on geo-magnetism in India and was involved in setting up observatories there apart from managing the Napier Museum in Trivandrum. One of the fundamental discoveries he made was that the Earth loses or gains magnetic intensity not locally, but as a whole. He also found that solar activity causes magnetic disturbances. Early years Broun was born in Dumfries where his father ran a school training students intending to join the navy. Broun was educated at Edinburgh University where he was influenced by James D. Forbes. In 1842, there was an interest in magnetic observations and Thomas McDougall Brisbane established an observatory at his home ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
University Of Kerala
University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is a state-run public university located in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who was also the first Chancellor of the university. C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the then Diwan (Prime Minister) of the State was the first Vice-Chancellor. It was the first university in Kerala, and among the first in the country. Accredited by NAAC with highest grade of A++ and scored 3.67 points out of 4. The university has over 150 affiliated colleges and has sixteen faculties and 43 Departments of teaching and research. The Governor of Kerala serves as the Chancellor of university. History It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who was also the first Chancellor of the university. C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the then Diwan (Prime Minister) of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Astronomical Observatories
This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in operation. While other sciences, such as volcanology and meteorology, also use facilities called observatories for research and observations, this list is limited to observatories that are used to observe celestial objects. Astronomical observatories are mainly divided into four categories: space-based, airborne, ground-based, and underground-based. Many modern telescopes and observatories are located in space to observe astronomical objects in wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere (such as ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays) and are thus impossible to observe using ground-based telescopes. Being above the atmosphere, these space observatories can also avoid the effects of atmo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madhava Observatory
Madhava Observatory is an observatory set up by the University of Calicut in 2005 in association with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore. It is the largest observatory at the university level in India. The hemispherical dome has a slit opening, a wheel assembly and a 14-inch Meade (Cassegrain) telescope. The observatory is used by the faculty and staff of the university for study and research purposes. The observatory has also an 18-inch NGT reflector telescope gifted by IIAP, Bangalore, a dedicated computer facility for data collection and analysis. The observatory is named after Madhava of Sangamagrama (c. 1340 – c. 1425), who is considered one of the greatest mathematician-astronomers of the Middle Ages and was the founder of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics The Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics or the Kerala school was a school of Indian mathematics, mathematics and Indian astronomy, astronomy founded by Madhava of Sanga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
