6.1 The Astronomical Laboratory
93
sky to a band not too far from the ecliptic. The ‘higher parts’ then refers the
terrain of the fixed stars.
Kapteyn stated that there would be a good division of tasks in astronomy in
the Netherlands, if Leiden limited itself to astrometry, and left astrophotography to Groningen. Utrecht then would do its own specialties. Van de Sande
Bakhuyzen, however, felt otherwise. At the start of the Carte du Ciel project,
he had initially announced that Leiden could not afford the purchase of a
telescope to participate fully in the project. The costs were estimated at 50,000
guilders (about 650,000 e in current purchasing power). But around 1890 he
finally realized the great importance of photography for astronomy. Kapteyn’s
plans probably played a role in this and he wanted to prevent such an important instrument from going to Groningen and demoting his observatory to
second place in the country. Of course he had the advantage of existing infrastructure; the designs for the buildings for a photographic telescope for Leiden
and Groningen, both made by the Government’s ‘Chief Architect’ Jacobus van
Lokhorst (1844–1906), show a much simpler and cheaper building for Leiden.
As a result, the choice for the Minister was not too difficult; probably for a
large part on that basis Leiden got the photographic telescope. The instrument
was in the Ministry’s budget for 1895.
In his speech as retiring rector in 1891 Kapteyn referred to the situation
that there was an observatory in the Cape of Good Hope, where there was
too much work to do at the telescopes to leave time and manpower for the
processing of the photographic plates, while in Groningen it was the other way
around. After the selection of Leiden for the photographic telescope, he must
have given up his plans for his own observatory. But, he changed his plans
aiming for a well-equipped laboratory to perform measurements on plates that
were taken elsewhere, where the manpower and instruments were lacking to
do the job. In 1892 he submitted a request to purchase a third instrument in
addition to the measuring devices for the CPD and the Carte du Ciel: ‘When
another measuring device from Repsold for about 2400 f. is obtained, we will
have here an astronomical facility here with possession of a unique collection of
photographic measuring instruments [...] and we will therefore have the opportunity here in Groningen, better than anywhere else, even abroad, to study the
various methods and measurements of photographic images of star fields’. The
amount of 2400 guilders corresponds to about 30,000 e purchasing power
nowadays.
In 1896 Kapteyn was finally able to inaugurate his Astronomical Laboratory.
He was given the use of the official residence of the Queen’s Commissioner 2 .
2 This was Queen Emma, Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia, Prinsess von Waldeck und Pyrmont
(1858–1934), regent for her daughter the later Queen Wilhelmina.
93
sky to a band not too far from the ecliptic. The ‘higher parts’ then refers the
terrain of the fixed stars.
Kapteyn stated that there would be a good division of tasks in astronomy in
the Netherlands, if Leiden limited itself to astrometry, and left astrophotography to Groningen. Utrecht then would do its own specialties. Van de Sande
Bakhuyzen, however, felt otherwise. At the start of the Carte du Ciel project,
he had initially announced that Leiden could not afford the purchase of a
telescope to participate fully in the project. The costs were estimated at 50,000
guilders (about 650,000 e in current purchasing power). But around 1890 he
finally realized the great importance of photography for astronomy. Kapteyn’s
plans probably played a role in this and he wanted to prevent such an important instrument from going to Groningen and demoting his observatory to
second place in the country. Of course he had the advantage of existing infrastructure; the designs for the buildings for a photographic telescope for Leiden
and Groningen, both made by the Government’s ‘Chief Architect’ Jacobus van
Lokhorst (1844–1906), show a much simpler and cheaper building for Leiden.
As a result, the choice for the Minister was not too difficult; probably for a
large part on that basis Leiden got the photographic telescope. The instrument
was in the Ministry’s budget for 1895.
In his speech as retiring rector in 1891 Kapteyn referred to the situation
that there was an observatory in the Cape of Good Hope, where there was
too much work to do at the telescopes to leave time and manpower for the
processing of the photographic plates, while in Groningen it was the other way
around. After the selection of Leiden for the photographic telescope, he must
have given up his plans for his own observatory. But, he changed his plans
aiming for a well-equipped laboratory to perform measurements on plates that
were taken elsewhere, where the manpower and instruments were lacking to
do the job. In 1892 he submitted a request to purchase a third instrument in
addition to the measuring devices for the CPD and the Carte du Ciel: ‘When
another measuring device from Repsold for about 2400 f. is obtained, we will
have here an astronomical facility here with possession of a unique collection of
photographic measuring instruments [...] and we will therefore have the opportunity here in Groningen, better than anywhere else, even abroad, to study the
various methods and measurements of photographic images of star fields’. The
amount of 2400 guilders corresponds to about 30,000 e purchasing power
nowadays.
In 1896 Kapteyn was finally able to inaugurate his Astronomical Laboratory.
He was given the use of the official residence of the Queen’s Commissioner 2 .
2 This was Queen Emma, Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia, Prinsess von Waldeck und Pyrmont
(1858–1934), regent for her daughter the later Queen Wilhelmina.