Fond IND-IIA-F041 - The Transit Circle - designed by Sir George Airy - 1850

Identity area

Reference code

IND-IIA-F041

Title

The Transit Circle - designed by Sir George Airy - 1850

Date(s)

  • 1850 (Creation)

Level of description

Fond

Extent and medium

1 instrument

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Sir George Biddell Airy KCB FRS (27 July 1801 – 2 January 1892) was an English mathematician and astronomer, and the seventh Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881. His many achievements include work on planetary orbits, measuring the mean density of the Earth, a method of solution of two-dimensional problems in solid mechanics and, in his role as Astronomer Royal, establishing Greenwich as the location of the prime meridian.

Repository

Archival history

The instrument was transferred from IIA library to IIA Archives

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The instruments were acquired from Kodaikanal Solar Observatory

Content and structure area

Scope and content

This item was a stellar object requires two coordinates to locate it on the sky, as the sky is a two-dimensional plane. One of these coordinates known as declination. This is similar to the two co-ordinates viz. latitude and longitude, defining a point on the surface of the earth. The transit circle is an instrument used to determine the declination of stellar onjects. It consists of a circular scale kept perpendicular to the rotating axis of a telescope tube.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

This item transferred to the IIA archives have been preserved

Accruals

Further accruals are expected

System of arrangement

Arranged roughly by events

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Researchers must sign IIA Archival access agreement

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright is retained by IIA Archives

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Instrument is in good condition

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

The originals were located in IIA Archives

Existence and location of copies

The original files are transferred to Bangalore campus, then processed and archived

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

IIA Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Archival description is based on ISAD(G), second edition.

Status

Published

Level of detail

Complete

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

  • Latin

Sources

Archivist's note

Processed by IIA Archives

Accession area