The Fuertes Clock Drive
Telescopes require a tracking mechanism, which moves the telescope at the same rate as the Earth turns, thereby keeping the telescope pointed at the same fixed point on the sky. Fuertes has a very old, mechanical tracking device, which works like a grandfather's clock: weights, which need to be cranked up every now and then, steadily drop, and provide the force needed to keep the telescope moving. The gears seen in the picture ensure the exact rate at which the telescope moves.
These pages were made by the Cornell Astronomical Society, 2000.
Pictures of the telescope inside the dome were taken by Jonathan Ferguson of Sunforge Studios