The John Benjamin Dancer Antique Telescope
John Benjamin Dancer (1812-1887) made telescopes, microscopes, and other instruments at his shops in England. He was the first person in England to image the Moon through a telescope. The McCarthy Observatory received this donated telescope in 2011; it was mostly intact but needed some serious restoration. That work was done by master craftsman Richard Parker in Connecticut. This telescope was made sometime between 1845 and 1870. It has a 4.25 inch objective, and a 62 inch focal length, giving a focal ratio of about 15 (~f/15).
John Benjamin Dancer with Microscope
Dancer Telescope when donated
Restored Dancer Telescope
Restored Dancer telescope on tripod
Dancer Telescope on tripod
Dancer telescope on tripod
Detail of rear cell Dancer Telescope
Moon image taken through a similar telescope around 1859
Moon Mosaic taken with Dancer Telescope Feb 2021
Moon image through Dancer telescope using a ZWO ASI 120mm camera.
Sunspot_145658_21 May taken through Dancer Telescope
Image taken using a ZWO ASI 120mm camera.
Saturn image taken through Dancer telescope 20 Sept 2021
Image taken with a ZWO ASI 120mm camera.
Moonlight by Dancer
Images taken with a ZWO ASI 120mm camera.
Jupiter and Europa_19 Sept 2021 taken through Dancer Telescope
Image taken with a ZWO ASI 120mm camera.
13 Day Old Moon Taken Through Dancer Telescope
Image taken with a ZWO ASI 120mm camera.
1873 Royal Astronomical Society paper mentioning Dancer
First page of the Royal Astronomical Society bulletin mentioning Dancer's Moon image.
1873 Royal Astronomical Society paper mentioning Dancer Page2
Second page of the Royal Astronomical bulletin mentioning Dancer's Moon image.
Nine Days Before and After
Image taken with the Dancer telescope using a ZWO ASI 120mm camera.
Sunspots through Dancer Telescope
Recorded using a ZWO ASI 120mm camera.
Mare Imbrium
Recent image of Mare Imbrium taken through the Dancer Telescope with a ZWO ASI 120mm camera
Close to the edge 30 December 2022
Closer to the Edge taken with the Dancer Telescope on 30 December 2022 using a ZWO ASI 120 mm camera
Clavius and Tycho craters 30 March 2023
Clavius and Tycho craters taken through the Dancer Telescope on 30 March 2023 using a ZWO ASI 120 mm camera
25 Day Old Moon
Recent image of the 25 Day Old Moon taken through the Dancer Telescope with a ZWO ASI120mm camera.