Has looked into JH's paper and found the reason for the discrepancy in the observations. Comments on this. Thinks the enclosed paper should be sent to JH. Would like to obtain cheap copies of the Greenwich observations if possible.
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The Sir John Herschel Collection
The preparation of the print Calendar of the Correspondence of Sir John Herschel (Michael J. Crowe ed., David R. Dyck and James J. Kevin assoc. eds, Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998, viii + 828 pp) which was funded by the National Science Foundation, took ten years. It was accomplished by a team of seventeen professors, visiting scholars, graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and staff working at the University of Notre Dame.
The first online version of Calendar was created in 2009 by Dr Marvin Bolt and Steven Lucy, working at the Webster Institute of the Adler Planetarium, and it is that data that has now been reformatted for incorporation into Ɛpsilon.
Further information about Herschel, his correspondence, and the editorial method is available online here: http://historydb.adlerplanetarium.org/herschel/?p=intro
No texts of Herschel’s letters are currently available through Ɛpsilon.
Has looked into JH's paper and found the reason for the discrepancy in the observations. Comments on this. Thinks the enclosed paper should be sent to JH. Would like to obtain cheap copies of the Greenwich observations if possible.
Rejoices to hear TH is a candidate for the Professorship of Astronomy at Edinburgh University. His astronomical work has been of great assistance to JH, especially his detection of the reasons for the error in the Greenwich Observations.
Spent a pleasant time with G. B. Airy at Cambridge. The 'Melville' ship sails from Portsmouth on Thursday and he has been promised a passage to the Cape in it. Proposes to call on him tomorrow to discuss certain things.
Has taken some time to consider the climate at the Cape in response to JH's request. Gives details of the climate, suitability of site for observatory, and general conditions at the Cape. There is a reasonable library at Cape Town.
Has resolved to leave the Cape and soon after JH receives this letter he hopes to be in England. Will bring the barometer and the exterior thermometer. Saw Dr. Duncan Stewart yesterday.
Has written two letters from the Cape. Arrived three days ago. Will shortly proceed to Edinburgh. Has left the barometer on the ship. Compared this barometer with the one at St. Helena.
Proceeds to Edinburgh in the course of a few days and intends to compute the star declinations. Has some suggestions to offer before JH sails for the Cape. Would be glad to hear of the comparison of the barometer and thermometer. Left a [Thomas] Jones thermometer at the Cape.
Memorandum on the site of N. L. Lacaille's Observatory.
Is happy to hear of his safe arrival at the Cape and comfortably housed. Comments on two stars Alpha1 and Alpha2 Centauri.
Received his February letter and is pleased to hear that things are progressing. No one has seen Halley's Comet yet. His work on the reduction of the Cape observations is proceeding slowly. Had no idea he gave such a poor impression of the Cape climate. David Brewster and J. D. Forbes have not visited Edinburgh recently.
Pleased to hear that all is progressing well with JH. Regrets the discordance in the Parramatta Right Ascensions. Observed an occultation of Gamma Virginis in April. Has seen the method of determining the nadir point of a circle. Cape reductions suffered a setback last season as he had to lecture on mathematics.
Sending a few lines via Captain Basil Hall. Has sent his observations of the refractions of stars at lower altitudes than 5 degrees, to the R.A.S. Started work on determining the position of the stars from Baily's zodiacal catalogue. Government has authorized the printing of the observations.
All N. L. Lacaille's observations have been reduced and a complete catalogue sent to Francis Baily to be incorporated into the catalogue of the R.A.S. Hopes Baily is recovering his health.
Has received a series of observations from Thomas Maclear on Alpha1 and Alpha2 Centauri. Comments on these observations and gives results made by the old circle.
Congratulates him on his discovery of the parallax of Alpha Centauri. Comments on this and makes suggestions for further examination.
Thanks for letter and printed address and for the favorable notice of his investigations into Alpha Centauri. Comments on these and some of his observations on other stars. Encloses a note of the position of seven circumpolar stars.
Gives the parallaxes of a few southern stars obtained from his own mural circle. Has sent his memoir on Alpha Centauri to the R.A.S.
Sending the results of his calculations of the parallaxes of the southern stars. Has recommended these stars to Thomas Maclear to observe.
Has had a reply from Thomas Maclear stating that all work has ceased at the Cape Observatory until the work on calculating the Arc of the Meridian has finished. F. W. Bessel has expressed a wish that Centaure should be observed with a heliometer. Wishes a good heliometer could be sent to the Cape.
Sending readings from his observations of the comet.