Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In the 1800s, William Parsons built a telescope larger than any in the world: The Leviathan of Parsonstown. This landmark in science history helped solve the mystery of just what a nebula could be.
Hosted by: Hank Green
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Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever:
Silas Emrys, Jb Taishoff, Bd_Tmprd, Harrison Mills, Jeffrey Mckishen, James Knight, Christoph Schwanke, Jacob, Matt Curls, Sam Buck, Christopher R Boucher, Eric Jensen, Lehel Kovacs, Adam Brainard, Greg, Ash, Sam Lutfi, Piya Shedden, KatieMarie Magnone, Scott Satovsky Jr, charles george, Alex Hackman, Chris Peters, Kevin Bealer
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Sources:
http://bulletin-archive.kenyon.edu/x1446.html
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/2002JHA....33...57H/0000057.000.html
britannica.com/topic/Messier-catalog
http://ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu/multiwavelength-astronomy/optical/history/06.html
historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/the-leviathan-of-parsonstown
http://burro.case.edu/Academics/Astr222/Galaxies/Intro/debate.html
Images:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Messier.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:M42m.jpg
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Image_taken_from_page_384_of_%27The_Half_Hour_Library_of_Travel,_Nature_and_Science_for_young_readers%27_(11301074156).jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Greate_Telescope,_Birr,_Offaly_2.jpg
nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-space-telescope-optics-system
nasa.gov/centers/marshall/multimedia/photos/2010/photos10-094.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:40-foot_telescope_mirror.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Birr_Castle_by_Henrietta_Crompton.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rosse_six_foot_telescope_mirror.JPG
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:60%22_Mirror_for_William_Parsons,_Earl_of_Rosse_(9237613525).jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lossy-page1-6940px-Lord_Rosse%27s_Great_Reflecting_Telescope,_at_Parsonstown,_Ireland_RMG_F8661_(cropped).jpg
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_mundo_f%C3%ADsico,_1882_%22Telescopio_lord_Rosse,_en_Parsontown_(Irlanda)%22._(4051853437).jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leviathan_of_Parsonstown..._(8392017304).jpg
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Telescopio_Leviatano_Birr.JPG
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M51Sketch.jpg
https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/March02/Gordon/Gordon2.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PSM_V74_D518_Steel_building_and_60_inch_reflector.png
In the 1800s, William Parsons built a telescope larger than any in the world: The Leviathan of Parsonstown. This landmark in science history helped solve the mystery of just what a nebula could be.
Hosted by: Hank Green
SciShow has a spinoff podcast! It's called SciShow Tangents. Check it out at scishowtangents.org
----------
Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: patreon.com/scishow
----------
Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever:
Silas Emrys, Jb Taishoff, Bd_Tmprd, Harrison Mills, Jeffrey Mckishen, James Knight, Christoph Schwanke, Jacob, Matt Curls, Sam Buck, Christopher R Boucher, Eric Jensen, Lehel Kovacs, Adam Brainard, Greg, Ash, Sam Lutfi, Piya Shedden, KatieMarie Magnone, Scott Satovsky Jr, charles george, Alex Hackman, Chris Peters, Kevin Bealer
----------
Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: dftba.com/scishow
----------
Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
Facebook: facebook.com/scishow
Twitter: twitter.com/scishow
Tumblr: scishow.tumblr.com
Instagram: instagram.com/thescishow
----------
Sources:
http://bulletin-archive.kenyon.edu/x1446.html
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/2002JHA....33...57H/0000057.000.html
britannica.com/topic/Messier-catalog
http://ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu/multiwavelength-astronomy/optical/history/06.html
historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/the-leviathan-of-parsonstown
http://burro.case.edu/Academics/Astr222/Galaxies/Intro/debate.html
Images:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Messier.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:M42m.jpg
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Image_taken_from_page_384_of_%27The_Half_Hour_Library_of_Travel,_Nature_and_Science_for_young_readers%27_(11301074156).jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Greate_Telescope,_Birr,_Offaly_2.jpg
nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-space-telescope-optics-system
nasa.gov/centers/marshall/multimedia/photos/2010/photos10-094.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:40-foot_telescope_mirror.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Birr_Castle_by_Henrietta_Crompton.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rosse_six_foot_telescope_mirror.JPG
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:60%22_Mirror_for_William_Parsons,_Earl_of_Rosse_(9237613525).jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lossy-page1-6940px-Lord_Rosse%27s_Great_Reflecting_Telescope,_at_Parsonstown,_Ireland_RMG_F8661_(cropped).jpg
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_mundo_f%C3%ADsico,_1882_%22Telescopio_lord_Rosse,_en_Parsontown_(Irlanda)%22._(4051853437).jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leviathan_of_Parsonstown..._(8392017304).jpg
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Telescopio_Leviatano_Birr.JPG
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M51Sketch.jpg
https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/March02/Gordon/Gordon2.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PSM_V74_D518_Steel_building_and_60_inch_reflector.png
