Cooke's Tale 6

　Finally, it was time for the Cooke telescope to wake up.

　In 1981, the first phase of construction of Port Island (artificial island), built on the sea in Kobe's Chuo Ward, was completed.

　To commemorate the event, the Portopia Exposition (Portopia 81, March 20~September 15) was held on Port Island.

　クック望遠鏡は、1984年（昭和59）にオープンする、神戸市立青少年科学館新館天体観測ドームに設置されることになりました。それに先立ち、1983年（昭和58）7月、オーバーホールのために、神戸市立中央体育館倉庫から、京都の西村製作所に分解されたクック望遠鏡は運び出されました。半年ほどかけて西村製作所で念入りに整備されました。

　Above is a view of the Cooke Telescope being taken out of the Central Gymnasium.

　Parts unpacked at Nishimura Manufacturing. On the top are parts of the micrometer and eyepiece, and on the left is the blusher driving clock. On the right is the 25cm objective lens.

　The upper left is the polar axis section, the upper right is the diurnal wheel gear, and the bottom is the viewfinder.

　In January 1984, the surface was cleaned of dirt and rust, and temporarily assembled in the Nishimura factory to check the parts. After this, it will be disassembled again, repaired, replaced with new parts, and painted to finish.

　In March 1984, the Cooke Telescope was installed in the Astronomical Observatory of the Youth Science Museum.

　The Cooke telescope is set up in the dome and undergoing adjustment. Almost all the major components are installed. The rope extending from the tip is for opening and closing the hood cover of the optical tube.

　The Cooke Telescope has been named "Taiyo" and is now open to visitors for sunspot and prominence observation almost every day.

　The first photo shows the Cooke telescope after adjustment. The paint is fresh and the brass parts are shining.

　After a period of misery (25 years in the dome and 17 years in storage, for a total of 42 years), it was truly a new start. For about 12 years after that, the revived Cooke telescope continued to perform well.

　On January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck Japan, causing an unprecedented earthquake that struck the city.　

(References)

Chasing the Sun Again, Kobe City Board of Education Telescope Editorial Committee, Kobe Shimbun Publishing Center, 1984

Photo Album 150 Years of Kobe, Yasumoto Yamada, Jyurinsha, 2017

Kobe City 100th Anniversary,Kobe City,1989