Fred Hoyle: An Online Exhibition
Hoyle's YouthA Letter to his FatherHoyle wrote this letter to his father Ben on 17 August c.1930. Fred and his mother Mabel were visiting friends in Dartford. During the visit, Fred and Mabel visited Clarksons optical stores on High Holborn in central London, and bought a telescope which still survives today. Fred’s letter describes the observations he made when the telescope had been brought back to Dartford, including observations of the sun using the solar filter, and night-time observations of Mizar (Zeta Ursae Majoris), Arcturus (Alpha Boötis), and Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris). He includes a drawing of the planet Saturn as seen through the telescope, described as a "beautiful sight". The Hoyle Family | Chemical Balance | Scholarship Examination Papers | A Letter to his Father | Hoyle's Telescope | Page 1 | Pages 2 and 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Pages 6 and 7 | Page 8 | Transcription of the letter |
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