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The NLO caught it on both their North and East facing cameras:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyiZ1_8jQ9I&feature=youtu.be
and
David
And I hazard a guess (if those group of stars top right are the handle of the plough?)that it was painted on Oct 5th 1858 when it “passed in splendour” over Arcturus. That was also the night that the astronomer of Rousdon: Charles Grover initiated his interest in astronomy.
David
Following lots of requests for further information about Richard Bangay,have now added pictures to the previous text:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mbj5oj0h1mxlbsc/Richard_Bangay.docx?dl=0
David
More here:Bangay, Richard. Bpt 25th November 1834 – 24th Sept 1931Richard Bangay son of Ellis Bangay was born in Saxlington Norfolk. In 1862 he graduated as a MD from the University of St Andrews, and also became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons during the same year. These positions he would retain to his death at the age of 98. He married Agnes Dorrington in Cheadle, Cheshire in 1880, with whom he had 7 children. During his position as a MD and surgeon he moved across the British Isles numerous times But it is his time living at Belmont in Lyme Regis, Dorset where he focused on astronomical issues building and maintaining a observatory. Bangay bought Belmont in 1883 where he would live with his increasing personal family including many extended members and servants. Here he undertook numerous expansions and redevelopments of the building including building the large observatory which overlooks Lyme Regis itself. The observatory consists of a polygonal observatory tower which still has its winding gear, now restored. Bangay was foremost a Victorian gentleman and with that respect he had interests in many fields including natural history, geology as well as astronomy. He was involved with the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field club. In 1892 July he took the club to look at Sir Henry Peeks observatory at Rousden over the country boarder in Devon. As a friend of Sir Henry Peek he was a regular to Rousden and no doubt would have had access to observe the more professionally run observatory housed at the estate. By 1902 Bangay had moved to Finsbury Park, London. He was elected to the British Astronomical Association on the 18th June 1905. With the loss of his wife in 1907 he moved to Monmouthshire where he would spend the next twenty years. He died in 1931 in Buckinghamshire in relative poverty. His daughter presented his collection of astronomical books to the British Astronomical Association. Children of note were his son Raymond whom worked at the Marconi telegraph station on the Lizard in Cornwall and wrote books on telegraphy and telephony.
Hello Mike,
Yes, we had fun helping out with that! Luckily, we had a lovely clear night at the NLO for the evening’s filming. Allan was on great form! I hadn’t realised until I saw the documentary that Dr. Bangay was a self educated rags-to-riches character, apparently starting out as a crow-scarer and plough boy! I have been trying to find out whether he communicated with Norman Lockyer, but the only reference I have found is from Barbara Slater’s book on “The Astronomer of Rousdon”. This is another remarkable story of a rags to riches astronomer – the life of Charles Grover. He started out as an apprentice in a brush-makers workshop, and got hooked on astronomy when he saw Donati’s comet. To cut a long story short, he ended up working for the wealthy Peeks (Peek-Frean biscuits) at Rousdoun as their resident astronomer. Now apparently, Richard Bangay was a regular visitor to Rousdon, and is mentioned in the book. He was also a keen geologist and involved with the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club. I may have some further information passed on by George Wilkins, which I shall try and find.
David
Hi Nick,
Partially clear skies at the NLO for the eclipse. BBC Spotlight were here and made a short video accessible here:
http://www.normanlockyer.com/stargazing-2015.html
Cheers,
David
