Rajesh Kochhar President IAU Commission 41: History of Astronomy

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali

rkochhar2000@yahoo.comColloquium given at Indian Institute of Astrophysics Bangalore,

25 September 2012

Kodaikanal Observatory as a potential world astronomy

heritage site

As is well known, Unesco has a mission to

safeguard and preserve world heritage

sites. Towards this end, it prepares a

World Heritage List, in which cultural

properties from all over are inscribed ( that

is included) . Additionally, Unesco

encourages international cooperation in

heritage conservation.

Unesco has now undertaken a Thematic

Initiative on ‘Astronomy and World

Heritage’. It has enlisted technical

assistance from International Astronomical

Union for this purpose. Within IAU, the

responsibility has been entrusted to>

Commission 41: History of Astronomy.

Phase I of this Initiative aims at ‘acquiring

an in-depth knowledge of the outstanding

properties connected with astronomy in all

geographical regions through their

identification, study and inclusion of the >

most representative of these properties on

the national tentative lists. Phase II aims at

promoting the most outstanding of these

properties which recognize and celebrate

achievements in science through their

inscription on the World Heritage List.

In simpler words, an astronomical property

must first enter its nation’s tentative list

and then campaign for inscription in the

World List. Note that Unesco does not deal

with individuals, only with member

countries.

You are all familiar with the rust-free iron

pillar in Delhi near Qutub Minar. It is

famous the world over for its metallurgy.

What is not so well known is its

astronomical significance. It was brought

to Delhi in relatively recent times, that is

1233 CE. >

It was originally installed in about 400CE

in Udaigiri, Central India, on Tropic of

Cancer, as a gnomon. If this pillar had

remained at its original location, it would

have been an obvious choice as a world

astronomical heritage property.

.

As things stand, I think the only candidate

for astronomical world heritage list from

India is the Solar Physics Observatory

Kodaikanal ( est 1899 ), which now has

solar picture data with the same instrument

for the longest period in the world (since

1912), with some short interruptions due to

maintenance/ upgradation.

Since you are all practitioners of science

( and not merely historians), I will try to

place Kodaikanal in the larger context of

development of solar physics as a

scientific discipline.

By the middle of the 19th century, physical

astronomy, as distinct from positional

astronomy, had already taken some shape,

thanks to advent of solar spectroscopy and

photography.

There were a number of solar eclipses in

quick succession and visible from India :

1868, 1871 and 1872. These eclipses

attracted observers from Europe, and gave

a fillip to solar instrumentation and studies

the world over.

In 1868, the French astrophysicist Pierre

Jules Cesar Janssen discovered helium

from Guntur . During his post-eclipse stay

at Simla, Janssen created the first spectro-

helioscope, which facilitated daily

examination of the sun.

Then came the 1874 Transit of Venus. The

scientists’ agenda for it ran deep. What

was advertised was the brief passage of

Venus in front of the solar disc; what was

planned was a long-term study of the disc

itself.

The British Association for the

Advancement of Science passed a

resolution asking the Government of India

to make arrangements for observing the

event and to provide instruments which

were afterwards to be transferred to a solar

observatory.

Such was the prestige enjoyed by science

and scientists in Europe at the time that the

British Empire, as the owner of the most of

the world’s sunshine, agreed to help,

though partially.

The 1874 transit eventually led to regular

solar physics studies in India, even though

the exercise took 25 years. The initiative

came from the influential British scientist

of the time , Sir Norman Lockyer.

To sum up in advance, the step-wise

developments were as follows.

Observation of the 1874 event.

Creation of interim facilities for

collection of data and its transmission to

Europe.

Permanent facility in India.

The 1874 event

It is noteworthy that Survey of India

( and not Madras Observatory) was

asked to make transit observations.

More than 100 photos of the sun were

taken at Roorkee and sent to the

Astronomer Royal Sir George Biddell

Airy.

Photos from all over were reduced by

Captain G. L. Tupman who wrote:

‘There is only one really sharp image

in the whole collection, including the

Indian and Australian contingents, and

that is one of Captain Waterhouse’s

wet plates taken at Roorkee’.

Dehra Dun Observatory (1878-1925)

Lockyer used his equation with Lord

Salisbury, the Secretary of State for

India, for making arrangement for

solar photography in India.

Salisbury wrote to the Viceroy on 28

September 1877: ‘Having considered

the suggestions made by Mr. Lockyer,

and viewing that a study of the

conditions of the sun’s disc in relation

to terrestrial phenomenon has become

an important part of physical

investigation, I have thought it

desirable to assent to the employment

for a limited period of a person

qualified to obtain photographs of the

sun’s disc by the aid of the instrument

now in India’.

From the technical details given in the

letter , it is clear that it was drafted by

Lockyer himself.

Accordingly, starting from early 1878,

solar photographs were regularly

taken at Dehra Dun under the auspices

of Survey of India,

and sent to England every week. Dehra

Dun continued solar photography till

1925, but more out of a sense of duty

than enthusiasm.

The larger of the two photoheliographs

fell into disuse, and in 1898, Lockyer

was stung by on-the-spot discovery

that ‘the dome has been taken

possession of by bees’.

The arrangement was discontinued in

1925, and equipment sent to

Kodaikanal.

St Xavier’s College Observatory, Calcutta

(1879)

Sunny India caught the attention of

astronomers in the continent also. The

Italian transit-of-Venus team led by

Professor P. Tacchini of Palermo

Observatory stationed itself in Bengal,

its Chief instrument being the

spectroscope, `an instrument not

recognized in the equipment of any of

the English parties’. A co-opted member

of the Italian team was the Belgian Jesuit

Father Eugene Lafont (1837-1908), the

popular professor of science at the elitist

St. Xavier’s College. Lafont was no

researcher himself was an inspiring

educator and science communicator.

Tacchini suggested to Lafont ‘the

advisability of erecting a Solar

Observatory in Calcutta, in order to

supplement the Observations made in

Europe, by filling up the gaps caused in

the series of solar records by bad

weather’.

Lafont used his influence with

Europeans, Anglo-Indians (half-castes),

rajas, zamindars, and Indian men of note,

and soon collected a substantial sum of

Rs 21000 through donations, including

Rs 7000 from the Lieutenant Governor

of Bengal.

A 9 in refractor by Steinhill of Munich

was purchased and housed in a spacious

dome constructed for the purpose.

No research or teaching use was ever

made of this facility. This is unfortunate.

If the experiment had succeeded,

observational astronomy

might have become part of Indian

education system. As it is, astronomy has

largely remained decoupled from

college/ university teaching.

Takhtasinghji's Observatory Poona

(1888-1912)

It was a Government Observatory, named

after the principal funder, Maharaja of a

princely state, Bhavnagar. It was India’s

first modern astrophysical observatory.

Unfortunately, it was created for an

individual

and did not last long. The original plan

was to establish a spectroscopic

laboratory at Elphinstone College

Bombay for use by the students. The

initiator of the proposal was a

lecturer in the College, Kavasji Dadabhai

Naegamvala (1857-1938), who obtained

seed money of Rs 5000 from the

Maharaja of Bhavnagar and a matching

grant from the Bombay Government.

While in England in 1884 for buying the

equipment, he was persuaded by the

Astronomer Royal and Lockyer to build

a spectroscopic observatory instead.

Since Poona was a better astronomical

site than Bombay, in 1885 Naegamvala

was transferred there to College of

Science where the Observatory came up

in 1888.

Its chief instrument was a 16½ inch

aperture silver-on-parabolic glass

Newtonian made by Grubb.

In addition, Lockyer equipped Poona as a

satellite facility. A six-inch Cooke

equatorial purchased by the Government

for the 1874 transit observation from

India had been loaned to Lockyer’s

Observatory in South Kensington.

The India Office also purchased two

spectroscopes from Hilger (one solar, the

other stellar) for his use. The equatorial

and the spectroscopes were given to

Naegamvala so that he could observe

with them and send raw data to Lockyer.

Similarly, data was received by Lockyer

and more generally in England from

Kodaikanal and Mauritius.

Not surprisingly, relationship between

Poona and South Kensington was non-

symmetrical. Whenever South

Kensington found fault with data

collection at Poona, it did not write

directly to Naegamvala, but formally

complained to >

his British superiors. Yet, when

Kodaikanal Observatory was being

planned, Lockyer suggested

Naegamvala’s name for the directorship.

The position was however offered to an

Englishman, Charles Michie Smith, a

non-descript physics professor at

Madras.

Lockyer and Astronomer Royal

constituted two independent centres of

power in England, and Kodaikanal came

under the latter’s sphere of influence.

Naegamvala took observations till the

very last date of his employment, 11

January 1912.

The Observatory was officially abolished

on the day of his retirement and all

equipment was sent to Kodaikanal.

Thus instead of creating a permanent

educational facility, a temporary research

centre was created for the primary

benefit of European solar physicists.

Kodaikanal Observatory (1899)

If the 1874 transit of Venus was

important for solar physicists, so was the

severe famine of 1876-77 in the Madras

Presidency. Monsoons fail at times, but

the severity of famines was

particularly high in the colonial period

because of large-scale export of food

grains from India to Britain in utter

disregard of local requirements.

Astronomers of course would not worry

about avoiding famines, but in predicting

monsoon behaviour.

In 1879, Lockyer presented a report to

the Indian Famine Commission claiming

that famines were correlated with

sunspot minima.

There is no doubt that Lockyer and

many others genuinely believed in a

correlation with solar activity and

terrestrial weather.

But it is also a fact that the practical

benefits to be derived from a study of the

sun were exaggerated to gain

Government support.

In 1881, Government of India’s chief

meteorologist Henry Francis Blanford

reported to the Famine Commission that

no such simple sunspot-monsoon

correlation as suggested by Lockyer

existed.

In any case, the Government decided to

go ahead with the Solar Observatory. It

was however decided to wait till the

neurotic Madras Astronomer Pogson was

dead. This happened in 1890.

Kodaikanal started shakily. The first task

was the acquisition of instruments.

A photoheliograph (Dallmeyer No. 4)

originally made for the 1874 transit was

given on loan by Greenwich to

Kodaikanal. It was used till 1912.

Madras had acquired a 6 in telescope on

English mounting, by Lerebours and

Secretan of Paris, in 1850. It was

remodelled in 1898 by Grubb of Dublin

who provided it with an electric drive,

and mounted a 5 in aperture a 5 in

aperture Grubb photographic lens on the

frame.

The telescope has been in use for solar

photography since 1912, from the North

Dome.

Kodaikanal has the unique distinction of

possessing an unbroken series of solar

pictures from the same instrument for an

extended period of 100 years.

These and other pictures have now been

digitized.

George Evershed arrived in 1907 no

doubt to be able to work in solitary

splendour. Kodaikanal rose to great

heights under him.

His first task was the installation of Ca-K

spectroheliograph that had been received

in 1904. His 1909 discovery of the radial

flow in sun spots_ the Evershed Effect_

is the only major discovery ever made

from Kodaikanal.

In 1911, Evershed made an auxiliary

specroheliograph and bolted it to the

existing instrument. The Sun could now

be photographed not only in Ca-K light

but also in H-alpha.

This is the only time a state-of-art pure

astronomical instrument was ever made

in India.

The Spectro building has a priceless

clock from the 18th century. It is among

the dozen odd gridiron pendulum clocks

made by John Shelton for the 1761 or

1769 ( probably the latter) transit of

Venus. It is not known when and how

one of the Sheltons ended in India.

The clock was one of the original

instruments at Madras Observatory (est

1787). It was transferred to Kodaikanal

in 1899. It is still working, and is in use

as an ordinary clock.

These old twin spectroheliographs are no

longer in use. The H-alpha pictures were

discontinued in about 2005, and the Ca-

K in about 2007. In the mean time, in

1995, as a back-up, Ca-K line filtergrams

using a CCD camera were begun.

Finally, in 2008 a newly constructed

twin telescope was commissioned to take

pictures in Ca-K and white light. In other

words, Kodaikanal does not take H-alpha

pictures any more. It takes Ca-K pictures

all right, but with a new equipment, as in

the Spectro building and white-light

pictures at two places ( North Dome and

Spectro).

In 1933, a Hale spectrohelioscope was

received as a gift from Mount Wilson

Observatory.

Next, International Geophysical Year

1957-1958 provided an opportunity for

ordering three new instruments. Two of

these, Lyot heliograph, and Lyot

coronograph,

were never really utilized. The third

instrument, acquired on turn-key basis,

was the Solar Tunnel Telescope which

was commissioned by M. K. Vainu

Bappu, who joined as Director in 1961.

This was the last time Kodaikanal got a

new instrument.

Over the years many minor instruments

were obtained; and new temporary

activities initiated ( radio,

magnetic/ionospheric).

At present, the Tunnel Telescope,

‘Spectro’, and the North Dome are the

only regular activity centres of

Kodaikanal Observatory.

Kodaikanal was never a well-endowed

Observatory. There was therefore lot of

improvisation; cutting up of old

instruments to make new ones for solar

eclipse expeditions, e. g.

About 25 years ago, I traced the history

of almost every instrument, or parts

thereof, that was in actual existence or >

was mentioned in the Stores Stock

Register. Many of these details have

been published ( eg in Vistas in

Astronomy). Here I have drawn attention

to only some of them.

• IIA has a priceless instrumentation

heritage. It deserves to be documented

case by case and preserved.

• Kodaikanal Observatory has always

been an important feature on the town’s

tourist map. The Observatory however

needs to revamp its Outreach

Programme, combine it with education,

• Many buildings in the Kodaikanal

campus are lying unused .Utilizing them

for a combination of heritage, education

and science popularization will help

preserve the buildings also. The

Kodaikanal Observatory needs to be

protected not only as culrural property

but as real estate also.

Concluding remarksConcluding remarks

Kodaikanal Observatory is a respected name in the world solar physics. Many better-known observatories have discontinued their old programmes, or even shifted to new locations, and become more high tech.

It is the continuity in Kodaikanal that makes its history so interesting. Whether it should be inscribed in the Astronomy and World Heritage List or not is for IIA to decide. The procedure is simple.

IIA should prepare a detailed dossier on the Observatory.

Persuade MHRD ( Indian node for UNESCO) to include it in the national list.

Get it inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Thank You

Thank You

Thank You