| Abstrakt: |
Towards the end of 1997, the director of the National Astronomical Observatory, Jesús Gómez, commissioned the Machines and Mechanisms Laboratory of this School, to produce a viability study for the reconstruction of "Herschel's Great Telescope". This device was built in the 18th century as part of the fine set of instruments that on the orders of Charles IV, were to equip the Madrid Royal Observatory, which had been created by Charles III in 1790. Unfortunately, this great telescope was destroyed in the War of Independence. All that survived were a few remains, and the image of its structure, thanks to the magnificent illustrations executed by the hand of Mendoza (Fig. 1), the naval officer to whom the King had entrusted its construction. The project to be undertaken by the Engineering School group, not only had to embrace reconstructing the telescope and how it worked, but also quantify the costs of the undertaking and take other aspects into account, such as a land study, transport, installation and assembly. There were also other details which were not part of the study, such as, location, the foundations, and landscaping. All this would involve analysis and decision making that could only be done by an architect. Now, 5 years later, the construction of a replica of the Great Telescope is about to become reality in the Bermeo Shipyards, a shipbuilding company located on the Vizcaya coast. It will be housed in a transparent glass building designed by the architect Antonio Fernández Alba, and stand on supports made of granite from the Madrid mountain quarries,. According to astronomer Pere Planesas, Jesús Gómez was the driving force behind the reconstruction project, which was drawn up by a team of industrial engineers from the E.T.S. de Ingenieros Industriales de Madrid (Madrid Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineers), headed by Emilio Bautista and made up of Pilar Leal, José Luis Muñoz and the late Ignacio Medina. (EL PAIS [1], "Del Retiro a las estrellas", (From the Retiro to the Stars), Wednesday 20 February, 2002). We believe it is worthwhile here, to emphasise that an 18th century device has been recovered two centuries after its destruction, due in part, to the participation of our school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
