The Earl of Rosse and the Leviathan of Parsontown by Lenny Abbey
With the advent of stellar astronomy (an event which took place
in the front yard of the greatest amateur astronomer of all,
William Herschel), it became clear that a telescope's most
important quality was its ability to gather light. Herschel
built telescopes up to 48" in aperture, but the largest of these
behemoths was difficult to operate, requiring the assistance of
several well-muscled workers. Understandably, these helpers were
not necessarily interested in staying up all night to turn the
crank of a windlass. The 48" made several important discoveries,
but Herschel soon returned to his favorite, a 24" instrument.
The real race for aperture was launched by William Parsons, the
third Earl of Rosse. The Earl was a man of vast wealth, who
owned extensive estates in Ireland. He was a passionate amateur
astronomer, and like most amateurs, he needed a larger
telescope. Money was not a hindrance for the Earl. He wanted to
build the world's larges