This page is intentionally blank Slide 2 Slide 3 A new view of
the Universe V Fred Watson, AAO April 2005 A new view of the
Universe V Fred Watson, AAO April 2005 Slide 4 James Gregory Slide
5 Born Nov. 1638, Drumoak Manse (near Aberdeen) Aberdeen Fit like
the day? James Gregory Slide 6 Around 1653, James entered Marischal
College, Aberdeen Founded 1593, rebuilt c.1750 Education United
with Kings College in 1860 Slide 7 James Gregory While at Aberdeen
James studied the science of optics and new ways of making
telescopes: Moved by a certain youthful ardour I have girded myself
with these optical speculations, chief among which is the
demonstration of the telescope. (preface to Optica Promota, 1663)
Slide 8 London, c. Nov 1662Feb 1663 James travelled to London to
oversee the publication of Optica Promota. He made a brave attempt
to build the first reflecting (mirror) telescopeof which more
later. But he was anxious to be off to Paris to meet the great
Dutch mathematician, Christiaan Huygens, and left it unfinished.
James Gregory Slide 9 Italy, c. May 1663May 1668 James missed
Huygens in Paris and had to be content to leave a copy of Optica
Promota for him. He then went on to his main destination, the
University of Padua. James Gregory Slide 10 Padua James Gregory
Slide 11 While in Padua James Gregory James studied under the
Professor of Mathematics, Stefano degli Angeli (himself a former
pupil of Torricelli and Cavalieri) until May 1667. His own
mathematical studies took on a new and original dimension, and he
independently laid the foundations of the calculus (which is
usually attributed to Newton and Leibniz). He published two books
of great brilliance: Vera circuli (1667) and Geometriae pars
universalis (1668). Slide 12 James Gregory Back to London Gregory
returned to London in May 1668 to find that Vera circuli had been
well-received. He was fted by the scientific community because of
his up-to- date knowledge of Italian science. James was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society on 11 June 1668. Gosh, it was nothing,
really Slide 13 James Gregory Royal intervention? King Charles II
seems to have been persuaded by James fellow countryman (and fellow
member of the Royal Society), Sir Robert Moray, to found the Regius
Chair of Mathematics at the University of St. Andrews. Slide 14
James Gregory Off to St Andrews James arrived at St. Andrews late
in 1668. Slide 15 James Gregory Gregory at St. Andrews James in the
Upper Library with his clock (by Joseph Knibb, 1673.) Slide 16
Observing the stars James Gregory Slide 17 Gregory and the
diffraction grating James was intrigued by the behaviour of light
as it passed through the feather of a sea-bird. He had demonstrated
the first diffraction grating. Slide 18 James Gregory BUT In this,
as in all his work, James deferred to his younger contemporary,
Isaac Newton (1642--1727). I would gladly hear Mr Newtons thoughts
of it. And that was his main problem. Slide 19 James Gregory
Attitudes at St. Andrews James was disappointed with the support he
received at St. Andrews: I am often troubled with great
impertinences I was ashamed to answer, the affairs of the
Observatory of St. Andrews were in such a bad condition, the reason
of which was, a prejudice the masters of the University did take at
the mathematics So he left. Slide 20 James Gregory And, in 1674,
went to Edinburgh In October 1675, James was observing the moons of
Jupiter with his students. He suffered a stroke, and went blind. A
few days later, he died. He was 36. Slide 21 James Gregory A modern
assessment of Gregory He was the only one of Newtons contemporaries
who could match him in mathematical breadth and profundity. But For
all his talent and promise of future achievement, Gregory did not
live long enough to make the major discovery that would have gained
him popular fame. (D.T. Whiteside, 1969.) Slide 22 James Gregory
Slide 23 The origins of the telescope Slide 24 James Gregory Lens
telescopes in the 1660s Slide 25 There had to be a better way In
contrast, mirror telescopes developed entirely in the heads of the
mathematicians of the day. Most notable were Rn Descartes (1596--
1650) and Marin Mersenne (1588--1648) James Gregory Slide 26
Gregory suggested combining mirrors and lenses The problem was that
no-one could make a mirror good enough for a telescope. James
Gregory The reason why is due to basic optics Slide 27 Niccol
Zucchi had attempted to make a reflecting telescope back in 1616 It
didnt work. Slide 28 Why not? Its 6 times harder to make an
accurate mirror surface than a lens surface. (Prove it with the
bathtub test) Air Glass Slide 29 In 1668, Newton won the day
Despite Gregorys efforts in 1662 with the optician Richard Reeve,
he didnt quite make his telescope work. James Gregory Gregory had
thought it not worth the pains to trouble myself anie further with
it, and headed off to Paris. Slide 30 But eventually, Gregory
prevailed Appropriately, it was the Edinburgh optician, James Short
(1710-- 1768) who eventually perfected the Gregorian telescope.
James Gregory And, in passing, made his fortune. Slide 31 And, of
course, the rest is history Slide 32
