Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1852 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 painting
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
William Stephen Jacob (1813-1862) was an English immigrant astronomer who served as the director of the Madras Observatory in India from 1848 to 1859. During his tenure at the Madras Observatory, Jacob conducted various astronomical observations and experiments. He compiled a catalog of 244 double stars observed at Pune with a 5-foot equatorial. He also made observations of the Saturnian and Jovian systems and computed orbits for several binary star systems. He participated in the official expedition to Spain to observe a solar eclipse in 1860. He made accurate measurements of saturns rings and satellites of Jupiter. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1849. Unfortunately, his life was short, and he died in Pune in August 1862 at the age of 48.
Repository
Archival history
The collection was transferred from Kodaikanal Solar Observatory to IIA Archives
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The painting was acquired from Kodaikanal Solar Observatory
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Astronomer William Stephen Jacob of India made important advances in the study of Saturn. He made observations of the Sunnian system and reported his findings, which included determining the elements of Saturn's satellites and Jupiter's adjusted mass. In 1852, he and William Lassell observed the transparency of Saturn's "dusky ring" almost simultaneously. In 1861, James Breen truncated Jacob's planetary observations. The Indian government paid for the printing of his books on the Saturnian system. Important new information about Saturn and its moons was made possible by these observations and calculations. One of his best-known pieces is a sketch he made on November 15, 1852, of Saturn. Using the Madras Equatorial, this drawing was created. W. Forrest then etched it. The illustration caught the appearance of Saturn on that specific date, providing valuable insights into the planet's features and characteristics at that time.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
This painting was transferred to the IIA archive have been preserved
Accruals
Further accruals are expected
System of arrangement
Arranged roughly by physical object type
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
The painting is in good condition and well preserved
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
The originals were located in the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory
Existence and location of copies
The original files are transferred to Bangalore campus, then processed and archived
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Digitized and made available online in IIA Institutional Repository
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Jacob, William Stephen (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Archival description is based on ISAD(G), second edition.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
English
Script(s)
Latin
Sources
Archivist's note
Processed by IIA Archives