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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.
Discusses various matters relating to telescopic and to tidal observations. Relays request from William Whewell that TM continue tidal observations.
Comments on stellar observations made by TM and reports JH's observations on sunspots. Notes error in [J. E.] Bode's celestial map.
Has received books and papers by the Beagle but only one letter and nothing from Francis Beaufort. Expects a party of visitors from the Beagle. If JH intends to visit the Bay, TM would like to accompany him.
Cannot send the Brisbane list by the end of the week. Will not expect J. K. Gibbs until the cart is finished. Returns solar spots.
Comments on disagreements in stellar observations and on sun spot activity; and requests observations of a specific star.
About the observation of sun spots and the second satellite of Saturn.
About a variety of observations that JH has made.
About some observations, the weather, and the difficulty of establishing tide observations, given the slowness of the Admiralty.
Sends TM his nebulae observations and drawings of what he saw.
Talks about the very hot weather, and some matters of business that JH needs to work out with TM.
About the remarkably bright variable star, Eta Argus.
Sees little benefit in trying to triangulate between stations, certainly at this time; JH's mirror polishing has been very successful.
Compares his observations for some stars with the observations of TM.
Some minor matters of astronomical business followed by an extended list of principles on which a constellation reform might be undertaken.
Feeling very ill. Discusses adjustments to TM's transit instrument.
Measurement of h Centauri.
Found the 'real' h Centauri; unsure what star is the 'false' h Centauri. Saw the largest sunspot that JH has ever seen. Saddened to learn that TM's son [George] is seriously ill.
Wants to invite members of the Beagle to dinner.
Sending the chronometer.
Polishing telescope mirrors.