Abstract Details
| Name: Pritpal Sandhu Affiliation: Indian Institute of Technology Indore Conference ID: ASI2017_1132 Title : Towards the restoration of the Jantar Mantar observatory instruments at Delhi Ia. Calibration and observations with the Jaiprakash Yantra Authors and Co-Authors : N. Rathnasree1, Pritpal Sandhu2, Pulkit Agarwal3, Lavanya Nemani4 and Sonia Munjal5 1. Nehru Planetarium, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library 2. Indian Institute of Technology Indore 3. National University of Singapore 4. Maitreyi College, Delhi University 5. Bonn-cologne graduate school of physics and astronomy Abstract Type : Poster Abstract Category : Instrumentation and Techniques Abstract : A database of observations is being collected for the Jai Prakash Instrument at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The purpose of this database collection is to give an overall idea of the state of the instrument at present, prior to the planned restoration of the instrument surface markings by the Archaeological Survey of India. The observations and the related documentation of procedures involved is also aimed at providing templates for the planned restoration of the instrument surface markings. The restoration process can utilize the methods outlined here, for the drawing/etching of the markings for the measurement of Altitude and Azimuth on the one hand and Right Ascension and Declination on the other. The time markings along the Equator can also be undertaken. The markings related to the rising and/or culmination of the Zodiac signs, which may have been present originally on the instrument, have not been undertaken. The required markings for the same would have shifted with precession of the axis of rotation of Earth, and drawing them according to current positions would be different from the original markings. Conservation practice requires a restoration to the original design, but in this particular case, such a restoration would not make any Astronomical sense. In all the existing literature about the Jaiprakas Yantra instruments built by Jai Singh, and the one at Delhi in particular, the current work is the only effort towards giving detailed observations using the Yantra, and arriving at an understanding of the actual condition and functioning of the instrument based on these observations. |