A collection of birthday greetings from JH, his wife, Margaret, and seven of their children, six of whom wrote their greetings in German. JH refers to Biela's Comet having thrown off a portion of itself, producing what JH calls a 'Double Comet.'
Showing 1–20 of 34 items
A collection of birthday greetings from JH, his wife, Margaret, and seven of their children, six of whom wrote their greetings in German. JH refers to Biela's Comet having thrown off a portion of itself, producing what JH calls a 'Double Comet.'
Packing up the 7-ft. and 10-ft. reflecting telescopes for their trip to Collingwood in Hawkhurst in Kent, JH's new home.
JH has given away his sweeping telescope to [Johann] Hausmann and the 5-ft. Newtonian reflector to the R.A.S. to be preserved 'long after I and all the little ones are dead and gone.' The skies have been excellent for JH to observe variable stars and to connect the northern with the southern magnitudes. Proved that Alpha Orionis is both a variable star and a periodical star.
JH and family are beginning to feel at home at Collingwood.
Reports the birth of Amelia Herschel, JH's eighth child. Forwarding to CH an article describing the telescope of William Parsons.
The reductions for JH's Cape Results are progressing. JH's mapping work has been 'carried over the whole surface of the heavens' this year.
Is confident that by summer his sweeps will all be reduced and arranged in three catalogs for JH's Cape Results.
Met Friedrich Bessel at the Manchester B.A.A.S. meeting; invited him to Collingwood, where he expects Bessel in a few days. Enclosed with the letter a specimen of a new photographic process called 'Chrysotype.' Marvels at traveling from Hawkhurst to Manchester round trip (420 miles) in under 23 hours!
Reports the erection of an obelisk at Feldhausen to commemorate the site of JH's 20-ft. reflector. Back at Cape Town, Thomas Maclear is measuring N. L. Lacaille's Arc of the Meridian. JH received the Prussian Order of Merit.
JH finished his catalog of stars for his Cape Results; hopes to be finished with his nebulae and double star catalogs soon.
Assures CH that he has preserved everything that she ever wrote to JH or that he found in William Herschel's library.
Reports the birth of JH's 9th child, Mathilda Rose Herschel.
Wishes CH a happy 96th birthday. Reports that when Margaret Herschel's brother John Stewart was in Egypt, he saw a comet. JH remarks that 'there seems to be no end of the comets.'
JH expresses pleasure in receiving and reading extracts from CH's biography. Expects to begin printing his Cape Results by Christmas. In finalizing his Cape Results, JH has found that several Southern double stars moved in the five-year span of his observations.
Reports that Biela's Comet split into two comets; JH has observed it several times. 30-40 pages of JH's Cape Results have been printed.
JH is working hard on his Cape Results.
JH expects that CH has received the copy of his Cape Results that he sent recently.
Finished the reductions of all of the nebulae and double stars recorded at Cape Town; JH soon hopes to prepare for the publication of his Cape Results.
Reports that there is no bust of William Herschel at the R.S.L., as JH once believed.
The Herschels bought a Christmas tree this year; JH reports that his children loved it and that 'they will be sure to keep up the custom which is a very merry one.'