As time goes by

[si@nite]

I came across this image as a comparative to whats being produced by planetary imagers today, it must have been a remarkable feat to achieve back then I would think, the bands & grs clearly seen! What they would have given for todays technology! Thanks for looking!

[eyepod]

That's a great comparison....ironically they must have had nice dark sky's back then...but limited technology to make the most of it photographically...

[Zakalwe]

This is a great read if you are interested in this stuff:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Starlight-Detectives-Astronomers-Eccentrics-Discovered/dp/1934137782/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420567503&sr=1-1

[ReticMikee]

Very interesting pics,look how big the GRS is in the first pic !!!

[si@nite]

Glad you found it intresting guys!

Very interesting pics,look how big the GRS is in the first pic !!!

Wonder if the grs will ever burn itself out, it is reducing in size over the years, maybe not in my lifetime lol!

[Pete Presland]

The size of the GRS is what strikes you immediately so large!

[Davide Simonetti]

It's fascinating to see an image from so long ago...before even colour photographic technology, let alone digital cameras, computers and modern tracking telescopes. And to think how 'cutting-edge' that image must have been back then, while today so many of us can get extremely good results with relatively inexpensive kit set up in a garden or park. We owe such a lot to those early pioneers 

[vimagreg]

This is absolutely astonishing!! The GRU is so large in 1879 image... Really cool!

Thanks for share!

Sent from my 19th Century Telegraph Machine

[Polar Bear]

Never mind the GRS, 3 belts are missing! I would not take the image as a definite indicator as to the size of the GRS, whilst undoubtedly it is a technical triumph for it's time in that it shows a disc, banding and a major single feature. 

Amazing to think that you can achieve a better image today with a £100 scope, a smart-phone and some software.

Paul 

[cheryl simone]

Never mind the GRS, 3 belts are missing! I would not take the image as a definite indicator as to the size of the GRS, whilst undoubtedly it is a technical triumph for it's time in that it shows a disc, banding and a major single feature. 

Amazing to think that you can achieve a better image today with a £100 scope, a smart-phone and some software.

Paul 

Very intresting to see how imaging has moved on but its not the first time a belts gone missing as shown on this shot!

[Space Cowboy]

I didn't know you had been imaging that long Simon big improvement!

[si@nite]

I didn't know you had been imaging that long Simon big improvement!

Just feels like it Stuart lol!

[Scott]

That's a great comparison....ironically they must have had nice dark sky's back then...but limited technology to make the most of it photographically...

quite possible the skies were worse if taken from a large city, what with the gas lamps and coal fires pumping so much crud into the atmosphere? Regardless, it's an amazing image. can but wonder at the excitment when the image began to appearon the plate