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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.
Thanks JH for introducing him to Robert Kane. Hears that JH will publish Cape results. Impatient to see them. Mentions JH's philosophical work.
Has received package in Turkey from JH. Sends thanks to JH through Sir Robert Brown. Values highly the gift of fragments from a meteor fallen near Cold-Bokkovold on 13 October 1838.
Has been requested to prepare a manual of scientific instructions for the use of ship's officers, and is asking GA to prepare a section on astronomy.
Is willing to assist JH, but feels that the Admiralty must instruct GA to do so [see JH's 1847-12-23].
In flowery prose thanks JH for 'feeling with me in what I have felt deeply myself,' perhaps referring to one of JH's poems. Is delighted to have learned through W. R. Hamilton that JH is a poet.
Communicates with others JH's choice of name for new planet [Iris]. Sends position of Hawkhurst Church tower obtained from map department. Describes rainy-day eclipse and reactions to it.
Notes that actinometer observations prove faulty due to problem with instruments. Asks that WS notify Indian observatories to join others in terminating such observations until JH finds method of getting around problem.
Approves naming the new planet Neptune and continued designation of JH's father's planet as Uranus. Suggests reasons and alternatives.
Concerned about W. S. Stratford, who has not responded to letters; GA has a problem with the German notation of star positions used by Thomas Henderson.
Speculates on name for JR's 'hot and cold basins' and on causes of equatorial heat and polar cold.
Believes he has worked out the German notation of star positions [see GA's 1847-2-1].
Asks to be allowed to join the new Philosophical Club on a trial basis [see letter of same date to John P. Gassiot].
Uses GA's comments [see GA's 1847-5-10] finally to achieve clarification of Thomas Henderson's calculations.
Thanks WH for 'plan' of [asteroid] Iris. Family is happy to have WH's son (JH's son William's friend) with them for holidays. Recounts their playful and adventurous activities.
On WH's 'Hodograph' and theorems of parabolic motion and the relation between velocities, initial velocities, and time. Praises WH's son. Cape Results nearly finished. Revising book on astronomy. Plans to 'attack' quaternions. Mentions parabolic functions and Benjamin Peirce's claim that the discovery of Neptune was accidental.
Has dealt with the problem of thanking H. C. Schumacher [see GA's 1847-10-6].
Is still working on the distribution list for star catalogues [see GA's 1846-11-19].
Advice as to best way to present JL's method of calculating the orbits of comets to R.A.S. If JL desires R.A.S. to undertake calculations, might be some difficulty.
Announces next meeting of Philosophical Club.
Sympathizes with JH's feelings of regret over actinometer readings. Has procured a new thermometer and carried out experiments toward correction of actinometers.