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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.
Robert Woodhouse is in immediate danger. Urges him to think again before he finally turns down the offer. Would like to visit him and discuss the matter. Can JH come up during the Christmas holiday?
Sending a clause from Dr. Thomas Plume's will which he hopes will remove JH's objections to the professorship at Cambridge. There should be no difficulty in traveling between Slough and Cambridge with steam carriages.
Robert Woodhouse has died and if JH intends applying for the position at Cambridge, he should lose no time in making his application.
Outlines the difficulties he has had to return JH's actinometer. Gives details of his observations in the Alps. Comments on the chronometer used.
Sending observations of his barometrical observations made during the summer at Chamouny. Comments on them and the work of [Alfred?] Gautier.
Discusses comet observations, together with variations from different observers. HO offers some historical fragments about the planet Venus, and about the Lilienthal telescope.
Comments on the observations JH has made with his 20-foot telescope, especially nebulae. HO provides some of his own observational data of Comet Encke.
Is afraid JH will decline the invitation to be a candidate for the Lucasian professorship, so it is assumed Charles Babbage will be elected.
Thanks JH for his assistance with edition of William Herschel's writings [see JH's 1824-6-30]. JP indicates volume two is ready for submission to printer.
Needs money to employ men working on Charles Babbage's calculating machine.
Cannot at present accept the situation [at University of Virginia] discussed in JH's letter. Is still a candidate for position at London University [see WR's 1827-7-28]. Thanks JH for honor bestowed.
Left his job because of precarious health. Is retired. Discusses achromatic telescopes and his ideas for correcting spherical and chromatic aberrations.
Surprised and grateful for JH's encouragement concerning his Stellarum duplicium. Informs JH that the observatory survived the fire at Abo. The university is moving to Helsingfors, Finland. [F. W. A.] Argelander will remain and is working on determining delineations of the foundation stars.
Discusses the poor health of Heinrich Olbers, and Johann Encke's inability to acquire the necessary instruments. Wants JH to send to CH a few of her 'Indexes.'
Thrilled by JH's encouragement concerning WH's 'Theory of Systems of Rays.' Enthusiastic about his career prospects at the University of Dublin.
Apologizes for controversy at meeting with James South over the transit circle.
Regarding the possibility of losing the services of W. S. Stratford, and also the president (JH). Lord High Admiral will be balloted for at the next meeting.
Plumian professorship is vacant owing to the death of Robert Woodhouse. How does JH feel about applying for it? The University would welcome him.
Hopes that JH will apply for the vacant position at the University.
'Our volume is nearly ready.' Problem dating vernal equinoxes before Christ's birth.