, ▁thus ▁creating ▁one   of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁electric ▁light ▁bul bs . ▁The ▁design ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁concept ▁that ▁the ▁high ▁mel ting ▁point ▁of ▁plat in um ▁would ▁allow ▁it ▁to ▁operate ▁at ▁high ▁temper atures ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁ev acu ated ▁chamber ▁would ▁contain ▁fewer ▁gas ▁mole cules ▁to ▁react ▁with ▁the ▁plat in um , ▁impro ving ▁its ▁lon ge vity . ▁Although ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁efficient ▁design , ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁plat in um ▁made ▁it ▁imp ract ical ▁for ▁commercial ▁use . ▁ ▁Att ract ed ▁to ▁astronom y ▁by ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁James ▁Nas my th , ▁he ▁constructed ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁a ▁ 1 3 - inch ▁reflect ing ▁teles cope , ▁mounted ▁first ▁at ▁Can on bury , ▁later ▁at ▁C ran ford , ▁M idd les ex , ▁and ▁with ▁its ▁aid ▁executed ▁many ▁draw ings ▁of ▁the ▁cel est ial ▁bodies ▁of ▁singular ▁beauty ▁and ▁f idel ity . ▁ ▁His ▁chief ▁title ▁to ▁fame , ▁however , ▁is ▁his ▁pione ering ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁the ▁art ▁of ▁phot ography ▁to ▁astronom ical ▁research . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 1 ▁his ▁attention ▁was ▁drawn ▁to ▁a ▁dag uer re ot ype ▁of ▁the ▁moon ▁by ▁G . ▁P . ▁Bond , ▁shown ▁at ▁the ▁great ▁exhibition ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁Ex c ited ▁to ▁em ulate ▁and ▁employ ▁the ▁more ▁rapid ▁wet - coll od ion ▁process , ▁he ▁succeeded ▁before