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Southern Cross - June 1998

• Constellation of the Month -
  Corona Borealis and Serpens Caput
• Planetary Nebulae for Autumn/Winter Skies
• Notable Australian Astronomers - Rev Dr Thomas Roseby

Constellation of the Month - Corona Borealis and Serpens Caput

Ross Gould

Corona Borealis is an obvious little circlet of stars readily picked out by the naked eye, though a little far north to give its best effect from our latitude. The adjoining region of Serpens Caput - the head of the serpent which Ophiuchus carries, its tail being on his other side - trails southward towards the celestial equator, so is accessible for a longer period. Both groups were recognised from ancient times, and appear in Ptolemy's Almagest. My observations listed below were with the 18cm refractor at Canberra Observatory. Unfortunately I did not have opportunity to check out the galaxies in a dark sky.

Corona Borealis

Only double stars and some faint galaxies are here to tempt the deep sky observer. Some of the doubles are fine objects. For those who like pursuing small faint fuzzies, NGC 5958 is a small galaxy at RA 15h 34.7m, +28 deg 40m. Listed at visual magnitude (mv) 12.6 and about 1' across, this spiral galaxy might be found by offsetting the telescope from Beta CrB.

Further East, NGC 6109 (16 17.7, +35 00) is perhaps the brightest of a collection of faint galaxies, between and north of Sigma and Nu CrB. 6109 is mv 12.7, spiral, about 1' across; Uranometria shows eight NGC galaxies here within a 1-degree field, with two others nearby. Most of them are very faint.

Double stars

These are quite plentiful despite the small constellation area, and several of them nice objects, and accessible to small telescopes.

Struve 1932 (15 18.3, +26 50) should be visible with 10cm aperture. With 18cm it was an attractive yellow pair, very close at 100x, easy at 180x. The mags are 7.1 and 7.6 at 1.5" separation. This is a binary with a period of 203 years, and the position angle (256 in 1992) has increased with time, with only slight change in separation.

A less bright pair, not in Hartung, is Struve 1950 (15 30.0, +25 30). 18cm at 100x showed it as an elegant uneven pair in a moderately starry area; the mags are 8.1 and 9.6, at an easy 3.1" separation (PA 92) in 1994. The brighter star is orange. There has been no change in 160 years.

Eta (15 23.2, +30 17) is a binary of period only 41.5 years. At maximum separation (1992) it was over 1 arcsecond separation; now closing, I found it elongated at 180x and requiring 330x for separation. The separation is now about 0.8" in PA 55. The stars are yellow and of mag 5.6 and 6.1.

Zeta CrB (15 39.4, +36 38) is an easy and fine pair, bright and attractive at 100x. The pale yellowish stars are bright (mags 5.1 and 6.0) and at an easy 6.3". The pair has shown no change since Struve's discovery.

Gamma (15 42.7, +26 18) is a nearly edge-on binary in a thin field. The period is 91 years, and the ephemeris gives 0.76 in PA 114 for 1999.0. At mags 4.0 and 6.0 it can be difficult because of brightness difference as well as closeness; I found it only doubtfully elongated.

Theta (15 32.9, +31 22) was only found to be double as recently as 1971, by the French double star specialist Paul Couteau. Sometimes pairs accessible to middling apertures are missed during sky surveys because they happen to be near minimum separation when examined. When Couteau discovered Theta it was at 0.5" in PA 203; by 1992 the distance had increased to 0.8" with little change in angle. The period is likely moderate, given the non-discovery of the pair early this century when it was presumably very close and its noticeable change in separation over 21 years after discovery. I found only a suggestion of elongation with 18cm and 330x. The magnitudes are 4.3 and 6.1.

Sigma (16 14.7, +33 51) is a bright easy pair, mags 5.8 and 6.7 at 6.6". It is changing slowly, with increasing separation and angle. It is an attractive yellow double in a thin field.

Serpens Caput

Messier 5 (1518.6, +0205) - mv is 5.7, diameter 17'. A very fine object, one of the best globulars after Omega Cen and 47 Tuc, which will begin to show stars with 10cm 'scopes. In larger telescopes it is impressive, an excellent object in a 14-inch at medium power. Generally, the best views of globulars are obtained at middling magnifications - what looks impressive at 50x will usually be better at 100-150x, and seeing as well as aperture makes a noticeable difference.

M5 on a good night shows a lot of stars with 18cm (7-inch) refractor. These are not uniform, either in brightness or distribution. At 100x there is an overlay of brighter (11-12th mag) stars over faint wide extensions, around a bright concentrated core. At 180x with the 7-inch the core is noticeably granular and the faint outliers more extended; and more stars are resolved away from the centre.

The cluster is slightly oval in shape, and the streams of brighter stars give an impression almost of a spiral pattern, as Robert Burnham also notes in his Celestial Handbook; I saw this particularly on the northern side where there are more of the brighter stars.

Walter Scott Houston in Sky and Telescope years ago suggested M5 was the equal of M13 - and from Australian latitudes it rises much higher in the sky. I would compare it with NGC 6752 in Pavo and M22 in Sagittarius.

Not far away - about 2 degrees south, and a little west from M5 - is the globular Palomar 5 (1516.1, -0007), an opportunity for the observational masochist. The mv is 11.8 - not too faint, you might think, but this is spread over 7' diameter. The brightest stars begin at mag 15.0, so you won't find it easy to resolve even in big 'scopes.

Serpens Caput has a variety of faint galaxies available as well, but they are not bright. One that should be available with moderate telescopes is the barred spiral galaxy NGC 5921 (1521.9, +0504). Mv is 10.8, the size 5'x4' on photographs. It is described as having an extremely bright nucleus in a bright bar 50"x20", with several filamentary arms. It can be found 3 degrees north of M5, and a degree east.

Double stars

Plenty of doubles are available - some of the better examples follow. Again, a number of these are non-Hartung items, and worthy additions to the canon. The best of the non-Hartungs is Struve 1987.

5 Ser (15 19.3, +01 47) is a bright pale yellow star in the field of M5; it has a small companion, moderately separated, which Hartung calls "reddish". I found it dull in tone. The mags are 5.2 and 10.2 at 11.3" separation in PA 36.

6 Ser (15 21.1, +00 43) is a more difficult version of 5 Ser: the mags are 5.5 and 10.1, but the separation only 3.1" (PA 19). With 18cm it was a deep golden star with a tiny comite close northeast, visible at 100x with close attention, easier at 180x.

Delta Ser (15 34.8, +10 31) is a bright and easy pair, both stars near white, mags 4.2 and 5.2 at 4.3". It has increased in separation with decreasing angle over time. Am attractive and easy pair.

BU 619 (15 43.2, +13 39) is a test object for moderate apertures. A bright deep yellow star is in a scattered and modestly starry field; with 18cm at 330x it was an uneven contact pair, not fully split. The mags are 6.8 and 7.5 at 0.7" in PA 006; the separation and angle are slowly increasing. Hartung implies 30cm is needed to split it; certainly, more than 18cm is needed for full resolution.

Back to an easy object. STF 1987 (15 57.2, +03 24) with 18cm at 100x is an easy fairly bright uneven pair in an east-west line of stars; another pair is nearly 20' west, less bright; and a faint wide pair is some 7' NE. A good effect. The main pair is of mags 7.2 and 8.7 at 10.6" (PA 322).

STF 1990 (15 58.9, +21 47) is a moderate dull orange star (mag 8.7) with a neat little even pair sitting off it northeast. The little pair is of mags 9.5 and 9.5 at 3.9" at 207; it is 56" from the main star.

I hope you enjoy this selection of objects, all accessible from our latitude and not needing large telescopes. M5 is a showpiece, and certainly the best object in the areas discussed, but the others are worth finding.

Planetary Nebulae for Autumn/Winter Skies

Jenni Kay, FRAS

The following is a collection of planetary nebulae which can be found across the sky from Vela to Lupus. This set of planetaries are mostly bright NGC, IC, and PK objects, which are readily accessible to both 12.5-inch and 8-inch telescopes. Some of the very small, stellar-like objects may require a deep and reliable star chart to locate, as they tend to blend into the background star fields and are not obvious at first sight. However, a good many of the following stand out well as soon as the object moves into the field of view.

All observations were made from my semi-rural home site at Lobethal, SA. The typical limiting naked-eye magnitude is 6.1, ANT II-III. The observations were made with both a 12.5" f/5 Newtonian, and 8" f/10 SCT. The eyepieces used, fields of view, and magnifications for each instrument are:

12.5" f/5 Newt: 32mm @ 50X; 60' field of view (FOV). 19mm @ 83X; 47' FOV. 15mm @ 151X; 37' FOV. 10.5mm Plossl @ 151X; 20' FOV.

8" f/10 SCT-- 32mm Televue Plossl @ 66X; 46' (FOV). 19mm Wide-field Televue @ 110X; 35' FOV. 15mm Wide-field Televue @ 140X; 28' FOV.

NGC 2899 : 09 27.0 -56 06 [120"; 11.8v; C * 15.9v] Vel

12.5" -- 50X: Needs some care, and averted vision to pick out in the field. The planetary is a large, relatively faint, soft, round glow. The UHC much enhances the view. 105/151X: More obvious - relatively bright, a smooth even glow, although there may be a slight brightening in the western region. The planetary is 1.5' in size.

8" -- At low power, 66X, the planetary does not stand out well in the field, however, there seems to be a hint of a soft, very faint haze at its location. The UHC confirms this, with the planetary detectable as a round, faint glow, about 2' in size.

PK 275-1.1 : 09 30.8 -53 10 [7"; 15.5 (P)] Vel

12.5" -- ~16' south-southeast of N2910 (star cluster). Only a very faint star found at the place of this planetary. There is uncertainty whether or not this is the target. It appears to be equal to a 14/15 mag field star for brightness.

NGC 3132 "The Eight Burst nebula" :10 07.1 -40 26 [30"; 9.7v; C * 10.07v] Vel

8" -- As soon as the planetary moves into the field it is very apparent, grabbing attention immediately. At low power, 66X, the planetary is a very bright, round, hazy glow with a 10 mag star at the centre. With the UHC filter in place there is a strong response showing a bright disc with an even glow. North of the planetary lies a noticeable arc of five stars which are 11 mag. Some catalogues place this planetary at -41 26 declination, but this is an error being one degree too far south.

IC 2553 : 10 09.3 -62 37 [4"; 10.3v; C * 15.51v] Car

12.5" -- 83X: Not obvious, the planetary closely resembles a 10 mag star in a busy star field, however, once located, it can be realized the planetary is slightly larger in size to true stars, and has an overall fuzzy appearance. There is a very good response to the OIII filter. 105/151X: Better view, a little more obvious - bright, very small, round disc, with a smooth even glow. The planetary is about 5" in diameter. NGC 3211 lies 1 deg east.

12.5" -- 50X: Hidden in a rich star field, the planetary is quite lost, being little more than a relatively large, relatively bright, soft, round, hazy glow. With the UHC filter in place, the planetary seems to jump out of the field boldly, as a bright, round disc. 83/151X: Very obvious - bright, relatively large, round disc, 50" in diameter, with a smooth even glow throughout. There are three faint 14 mag field stars at the edges of the planetary with one in the north, west, and southeast.

8" -- 66X: Averted vision catches the soft, large, round haze easily enough, otherwise, the planetary appears rather lost in the busy star field. 110X: More obvious - relatively bright, round, almost 1' in size, with uniform brightness.

PK 290 + 7.1 : 11 28.6 -52 56 [>25"; 11.4v] Car

12.5" -- 50X: The eye is drawn to the planetary appearing as a relatively bright, small, round spot. There is a positive response to the UHC filter. 83/151X: Much improved view - bright, round disc, 30" in diameter, with uniform brightness. Now and then I can catch a stellar point at the centre of the disc. There is a quaint little triangle of three 12 mag stars 5' west of the planetary.

NGC 3918 : 11 50.3 -57 11 [12"; 8.1v; C * 13.24v] Cen

12.5" -- 50X: As soon as the planetary moves into the field it is obvious, appearing as a very bright, very small, round, hazy glow, with a striking blue colour. There is a very strong response to the UHC filter. 83/151X: The planetary has a piercing glow, ~15" in diameter, with a uniform brightness, and still displays a strong azure tint.

8" -- 66X: The planetary stands out well as a small, very bright, round haze, which shows a very striking blue colour. It is comparable to a 8.5 mag field star for brightness, and shows a uniform brightness throughout the 15" round disc. The planetary is obvious at all magnifications.

NGC 4071 : 12 04.2 -67 18 [75"; 13.0v; C * 19.15v] Mus

12.5" -- 50X: Too faint. 105X: There is uncertainty at this power, barely suspecting that there may be a hint of a glow at the edge of a very faint 14 mag field star. This star lies in the east of a small triangle with two others, the star pattern being a guidepost to locate the planetary. 151X: With much care and patience, the planetary can be detected as an extremely faint, relatively large, round glow, with a diameter of 40".

8" -- This planetary is too faint for me to detect.

IC 4191 : 13 08.8 -67 39 [5"; 10.6v; C * 16.4v] Mus

12.5" -- 50X: The planetary requires some care to pick out in the busy star field, being almost stellar in appearance. Once located, it can be noticed that the planetary is only slightly larger than a true star, and equal in brightness to a nearby 11 mag field star. It also appears to display a very deep, blue colour. There is a very strong response to the UHC filter. 83/151X: Some care still required not to mistake this very small planetary for a star. The planetary is 5" in size at the most, relatively bright, with a round disc of uniform brightness, and shows a distinct blue colour. 151X offers the best view where the planetary is a little more pronounced.

NGC 5189 : 13 33.5 -65 59 [153"; 9.9v; C * 14.0v] Mus

12.5" -- 50X: The planetary stands out very well in the field, appearing as an impressive object, bright, relatively large, with an overall irregular shape, uneven brightness, and some stars involved. 105/151X: A real charmer! There is a bright bar running northeast to southwest inside a round, soft and textured shell, and there are three stars shining through it. Overall, the bar is 1.0' x 0.5', with the shell being 1' in diameter. In general, the planetary is set in a very rich star field, and the sight of this bright, textured, glowing figure is very impressive.

8" -- 66X: The planetary is obvious as a bright haze, elongated northeast to southwest. There is an 11 mag star at the northwest edge, and another 11 mag star at the southeastern side. The planetary is brighter across the middle, northeast to southwest, like a very slim nebulous line. There is a very strong response to the OIII and UHC filters. The size is 1'.

IC 4274 = NGC 5189.

This object is given the alternative name of IC 4274. In looking into the background history on the IC object, it appears that a typo error occurred when the coordinates were entered into the Dreyer's second IC catalogue. Dreyer listed this object at NPD (North Polar Declination) 115, whereas, the discoverer, Wilhelmina Fleming, placed the object at NPD 155. Fleming's position matches that of N5189. Fleming's paper was published in the Harvard Annals, Volume 60. She found this planetary on a Harvard objective prism plate.

PK 307 - 4.1 : 13 39.6 -67 23 [<25"; 12.9v; C * 13.9v] Mus

12.5" -- 66X: Cannot detect the planetary at this power. 83/151X: After a very careful study of the field, with great attention at the precise location of this planetary, I can only see the central 13.9v star. There is no hint of a very faint shell around the star. [ a dss image confirms that the planetary shell may be very faint, however, S&T, July 1996, p.41, offers an impressive HST image of this object. ]

NGC 5307 : 13 51.1 -51 12 [13"; 11.2v; C * 14.58] Cen

12.5" -- 50/83X: Not obvious, but can be found as a relatively faint, star-like object. Good response to the OIII, and UHC filters. At this power, the planetary seems equal to a 12 mag star for brightness, and has an overall soft, fuzzy appearance. 151X: Best view - very small, round disc, ~15" in size, with a smooth, even glow.

8" -- The planetary requires some care to locate resembling a 12 mag star set among a good many true 12 mag field stars. However, the UHC filter helps distinguish the planetary from the stars. Without a filter, and with averted vision, the planetary can be noticed to appear a little fuzzy compared to field stars.

NGC 5315 : 13 53.9 -66 31 [5"; 9.8v; C * 14.3v] Cir 12.5" -- 50X: The planetary can be picked out easily enough, in the fairly rich star field, with averted vision being pulled to a very small, almost star-like object, relatively bright, and showing a distinct blue colour. There is a good response to the OIII filter. 83/151X: very obvious - bright, round, very small disc with sharp edges. The planetary is 5" in size, comparable to a 12 mag star for brightness, with an even glow throughout.

8" -- 66X: 4' east of a very bright 7.2 mag field stars lies the planetary, which appears stellar-like in size, and comparable to a 11 mag star in brightness. There is a very good response to the OIII and UHC filters.

IC 4406 : 14 22.4 -44 09 [>28"; 10.2v; C * 14.7v] Lup

12.5" -- 50X: Obvious as soon as it moves into the field, appearing as a bright, very small, round disc with diffuse edges, and equal to a 10 mag field star for brightness. There is a very strong response to the OIII filter. 105/151X: Wouldn't miss this object in a casual sweep! The planetary is bright, round, 30" in size, with an even glow. Since the planetary is so obvious at all magnifications, I would class this as a showpiece to be added to any list of bright and interesting objects.

NGC 5873 : 15 12.8 -38 08 [3"; 11.0v; C * 15.52v] Lup

12.5" -- 50X: Needs some care at low power, being almost stellar and rather faint, and a little lost among the field stars. There is a strong response to the OIII filter. 83/151X: Still almost resembles a 11.5 mag star being very small, 5" in size at most, round, with diffuse edges.

8" -- The planetary is not obvious in the star field, and requires a deep and reliable star chart to locate. Once found, it appears star-like in size, and equal to a 11.5 mag field star for brightness. There is a good response to the UHC filter. Higher magnification did not show the planetary to be any more obvious. However, for a planetary as small and relatively faint as this one, it is still an easy enough object to find.

NGC 5882 : 15 16.8 -45 39 [7"; 9.4v; C * 13.62v] Lup

12.5" -- 50X: Immediately, the planetary can be noticed as a bright, very small, round disc with diffuse edges. There is a positive response to the OIII filter. 83/151X: Much improved view - very bright, small, ~10" in size, round disc with uniform brightness.

IC 1108 = NGC 5882

IC 1108 This object was reported by Wilhelmina Fleming as a Type V star in the Astronomische Nachrichten Vol. 135, p.195, 1895. A review on the class type of this object was reported by Fleming in a following paper, Astr. Nachr. Vol. 137, p.74, 1895, stating " A superposition of a chart and spectrum plate of the star whose approximate position for 1900 is a [RA] 15h 10.0m, -45 deg 17' which has been announced as a star of the fifth type shows that this object is in reality a gaseous nebula". The position and object re-classification by Fleming indicates that she is referring to the same object as the NGC 5882 planetary. While Fleming has shown in her other work that she often made cross references to the NGC, in this case it appears she did not notice this object was previously discovered, and already designated N5882. Therefore, IC 1108 = N5882, being a duplicate observation of the same object.

PK 322-2.1 : 15 34.3 -59 09 [>26"; 12.1v] Nor

12.5" -- 50X: In a search of the field, and with averted vision, the planetary can be noticed as a faint, relatively small, round, hazy glow. The OIII filter enhances the view of the planetary somewhat, showing it as a brighter, round disc. 83X: Slight improvement with the planetary a little more pronounced, with an overall soft, fuzzy appearance. 151X: best view - relatively bright, round, 34" in diameter, uniform brightness with diffuse edges. The planetary stands out well in the field at this power.

Shapley 1 : 15 51.7 -51 31 [76"; 12.6v; C * 14.03v] Nor

12.5" -- 50X: Barely perceived as a hint of a faint, relatively large, round glow. Very strong response to the OIII filter, the planetary appearing as a relatively bright, rather large, round haze with an even glow throughout. 83X: Slightly improved, and I can glimpse the central star. 151X: Best view for detail! Large annular, relatively slim, with brighter outer rim, and large, dark, central region. Overall, the planetary is nearly 1.5' in diameter. The 14 mag central star is obvious. Impressive and interesting!

8" -- Too faint for me to detect.

NGC 6026 : 16 01.4 -34 32 [45"; 12.9v; C * 13.29v] Lup

12.5" -- 50X: With care, the planetary can be picked out in the field as a fat, fuzzy star. There is a strong response to both the UHC, and OIII filters. 83/151X: Better view - the 13.2 mag central star is obvious, and it is wrapped in a faint, round shell. Overall, the planetary is 40" in size.

Notable Australian Amateur Astronomers
Rev Dr Thomas Roseby (1844-1918)

Ross Gould

Roseby, like Walter Gale whose life I sketched recently, was part of the NSW Branch of the British Astronomical Association (BAA). The BAA had been formed in 1890 in England, to cater to the increasing number of amateur astronomers who did not find the Royal Astronomical Society appropriate to their interest. In 1894 a BAA Branch was formed in Sydney; it continues still. The Victorian Branch started in Melbourne in 1897, but ended its brief life in 1906, leaving a gap before the start of the Victorian Astronomical Society in 1922.

The NSW Branch of the BAA was the first "stand-alone" astronomical society in Australia - the "Philosophical Societies" and "Royal Societies" in various Australian states had included astronomy sections but these were not independent organisations. The British Astronomical Association had also the advantage of being a consciously "amateur" group, unlike the "professional" associations. These latter had included some amateur astronomers; but the 19th century saw the gradual professionalization of science, and increasingly a division between the amateur scientist and the professional. In our own time this split has become very marked, and the difference in both educational level and access to high level equipment has created a wide division - with the result that few sciences are now accessible to the amateur other than by reading about them.

Roseby belongs to an earlier era when there was less difference... John Tebbutt, only ten years older than Roseby, is the most notable local example of an "amateur" who worked at the same level as professional observatories in the era when astrometry, rather than astrophysics, was the dominant form of the science.

Thomas Roseby was born in Sydney in 1844, and had (according to Walter Gale) "a brilliant career at Sydney University". Roseby took the University Medal in 1868, in "Logic and Mental Science", and gained the degrees of MA and LL.B in 1871; two years later he was awarded an LL.D. Roseby's working life was as a minister of the Congregational Church. Though never a major body of the size of the Anglican and Catholic Churches, the Congregational along with some other churches held an important place in preserving the tradition of "Dissent" which produced so many notable figures both in Australia and in Britain. In England The Congregational Church was a 'petit bourgeois' organisation, connected with small shopkeepers and tradesmen, a part of society distinguishing itself from the working class and certainly distinct from the "Establishment" (whether of money or birth). It was similar to this in Australia in Roseby's time.

Roseby, after being minister of Petersham Church in Sydney, went to New Zealand for 13 years; returning to Australia, he spent a few years in Ballarat, then returned to Sydney about 1889 where he became pastor at Marrickville for 23 years. He was Chairman of the Australasian Congregational Union from 1913 to 1916.

Of his personal qualities, one cannot do better than to quote from a brief biography of him by his younger friend Walter Gale - He was endowed with a most generous spirit, keen insight, strong faith, and wide sympathies. All his life he took a strong interest in scientific, social, and educational matters: he was a constant worker for the education and advancement of the people. His sermons showed independence of thought and fearless advocacy of truth, and frequently dealt with ... political and social questions ...

Roseby's favourite scientific interests were astronomy and botany, and in the former he became highly competent. He became an FRAS in 1895, and was an early member of the NSW BAA, later being its President several times. His observing was limited by the many demands on his time, and was devoted, according to Gale, "mainly to those double stars within reach of his 4-inch refractor".

He was very knowledgeable in astronomy, and made his knowledge available to others; he also provided the local BAA membership with monthly notes on progress in astronomy. Roseby had some mathematical competence, as shown by his paper published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society in which he computed Elliptic Elements of Comet Gale, 1894 II; the orbit here depended mostly on Tebbutt's observations. A number of Roseby's published papers deal with comets, others with overviews of current work in astronomy. Two others of interest are his observations of a star occulted by Jupiter in 1911, and a discussion in 1909 of Alpha Crucis as a double star which was puzzling in not showing change over time.

Roseby was also willing to be a controversialist. In 1891, when John Tebbutt had publicly attacked what he saw as the neglect of astronomy by Sydney Observatory, Roseby was one of those who supported him. Although this was connected with Tebbutt's long-term disputes with Henry Russell, Sydney Observatory's Director, Tebbutt's complaint gained wide support because Russell did appear to have neglected astronomy for some years.

In a later controversy, Roseby again weighed in. This was in 1910. Father Walter Sidgreaves, S.J., of Stonyhurst College in England, had published a letter in the BAA Journal in which he attacked Galileo, accusing him of plagiarism and dishonesty. WJ MacDonnell, a noted Sydney amateur astronomer, had argued against Sidgreaves' charges; Sidgreaves replied, with arguments that struck me as curious when I read them long ago (I was unable to access the paper in time for this biography). Sidgreaves appears not to have taken MacDonnell very seriously in the debate. Quite different was the response when Thomas Roseby addressed the issue, and defended Galileo much more solidly than MacDonnell had managed; Sidgreaves then provided a much more considerable reply. There is a nice contrast of argument styles and levels, to which Sidgreaves responds. Here I will not go into detail on this matter, which would need an article of its own to deal with adequately.

Roseby had good health throughout his life, dying after a brief illness in the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918-19, on 16 December 1918.