The photographic zenithal tube (PZT) of the Neuchâtel Observatory (1954-1982): between improvement and paradigmatic break of time determination
Julien Gressot & Romain Jeanneret
| Résumé |
In the mid-20th century, new technologies deeply changed the
practices of astronomical observatories. At the meeting of the
International Astronomical Union in Copenhagen in March 1946, a
call was made for the installation of photographic zenith tubes
(PZT) to study variations in latitude and to improve the accuracy
of time determination. To remain a reference in this field, The
Neuchâtel Observatory seized the opportunity to update its time
service. To acquire a PZT, Edmond Guyot (1900-1963), director of
the Neuchâtel institution, started discussions with the US Naval
Observatory in Washington to obtain plans for their prototype. In
the end, Grubb & Parsons, who works on the PZT of the Greenwich
Observatory, was chosen. Used between 1954 and 1982, the instrument
is seen as significantly reducing instrumental errors and
eliminating the personal equation. To explain the issues involved
in the transition from the meridian method to the zenith method,
this talk intends to start from the material culture of the
scientific instrument confronted with the study of the technical
documentation and the archives of the Observatory. The PZT is
considered to be the future of astronomy in the middle of the 20th
century but is finally quite quickly overtaken by technological
innovations with atomic time. We will analyses the role of the PZT,
at this period of paradigmatic break-in time determination, and the
reasons for its sudden obsolescence. |
| Mots-clés |
PZT, History of scientific instruments, zenith observations, accuracy, history of science and technology |
| Citation | Gressot, J., & Jeanneret, R. (2021). The photographic zenithal tube (PZT) of the Neuchâtel Observatory (1954-1982): between improvement and paradigmatic break of time determination. Presented at International on-line workshop : Observing, sensing, detecting Toward a multi-layered picture of the Universe from historical and epistemological perspectives, Italian Society for the History of Physics and Astronomy (SISFA). - Fulltext https://libra.unine.ch/Publications/44578 (State: 2022-08-16). |
| Type | Présentation (Anglais) |
| Date | 4-2-2021 |
| Evénement | International on-line workshop : Observing, sensing, detecting Toward a multi-layered picture of the Universe from historical and epistemological perspectives (Italian Society for the History of Physics and Astronomy (SISFA)) |
| URL | http://www.sisfa.org/observing-sensing-detecting/ |
| Liée au projet | l’Observatoire de Neuchâtel (1858-1958). Cultures de la p... |