Reconstructing Tycho

Table of Contents

• Origins of the project

  • Rosa's Presentation

  • Tycho's circumstances

  • My circumstances and definition of the project

• Design of the instrument: what needs to be measured, and how shall that measurement be made?

  • meridian altitudes

  • latitude and obliquity

  • separation angle between two stars

    • • separation equations

  • instrumentation approach

    • • basic telescope

      • scope internals

      • optical paths

      • primary mirror stabilization

      • roll/pitch optics

      • electronics

      • software

      • final assembly

• Design and construction of the observatory

  • location

  • format and assembly

• Preparation for collection of the data

  • instrument checkout

    • • tracking

      • power cables

      • az encoder problem

      • first camera

      • baseplate

      • early pointing runs

      • zenith star problem

      • pitch/roll

      • solar measurements

      • camera rework

  • input and working catalogs

  • meridian altitude considerations

  • star-to-star separation angle considerations

  • scope output data organization

  • nightly planning (early days)

  • nightly planning (full catalog push)

• Solar observations

  • • • altitude results

      • solar data and analemma

      • solar diameter

      • tropical year

      • Earth's orbit

      • Earth's rotation period

• Construction of the catalog

  • base data

    • • meridian altitude measurements, technique, and final data set

      • separation angle measurements, technique, and final data set

      • zenith star reductions

      • Polaris

      • right ascension zero point

  • hierarchical reductions; the selection of the starter stars

  • catalog construction for the primary stars

  • catalog construction for the secondary stars

  • the final full catalog

  • Tycho's catalog construction

  • author's comments