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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.
Invites ES to join him and other scientists for dinner. Requests that ES prepare a detailed description and justification of his proposed Teneriffe experiments for consideration by the R.S.L. Council.
Read your proposal on experiments at Teneriffe to the R.S.L. Council, which declined to make 'an especial recommendation' in support of them to the government.
Six artillery men have been placed under ES's command. Encloses letters from Charles Bonne. Asks ES to oversee the arrival of 180 rockets to be used at Wrotham and Fairlight. Proposes that ES test whether a light at Wrotham can be seen at Fairlight in which case gunpowder will be used instead of rockets. Sets date for ES to meet Bonne in Hornoy. Urges ES to record his expenses for the Board of Longitude.
Acknowledges receipt of WS's second volume of observations and the new telescope's results. Mentions Caroline Herschel's catalogue of nebulae.
Asks WS for account of the performance of his new [Josef] Fraunhofer telescope. Corroborates WS's double star motion data, except for 70 Ophiuchi, where JH and [James] South find no motion. Asks for observational targets and urges care in WS's observational technique. Mentions WS's intention to undertake celestial zone with [F. W.] Bessel. Describes [Henry] Kater's 'floating collimator.'
Encloses note about transportation of rockets, telescope, and chronometer, with suggested schedule for experiments.
Encloses R. Bonne's letter and gives further instructions regarding rockets for experiment.
Recovering from a prolonged illness. Discusses parallax. JH reports that he now is very skilled at sweeping with the 20-ft reflecting telescope.
Informs CH of his gold medal from the French Academy of Sciences for JH's and James South's paper on double stars. Finds CH's catalogue of nebulae in zones very useful. Heard about Johann Pfaff's death. James Grahame may be moving to Göttingen.
Studied 659 double stars; JH is confident that his work proves his father's conclusions. Now plans to study nebulae.
Thanking him for his friendly reception when in Italy. Is sending GA journals and pamphlets likely to be of interest to him. Regarding various papers on the electrization of mercury. Please send details of Giuseppe Bianchi's barometer.
Is sorry he will be unable to see him. Is sending copies of their paper for distribution.
Has received copies of reprints from Lyell. Points out errors in a printed paper of his. Has been unwell and very busy of late. Would like to add DB's name to the Optical Glass Committee.
News since he left Palermo. Comments on the pamphlet NC recently sent him. Has to inform him that he has been elected an Associate of the Astronomical Society.
Let Josef Fraunhofer make WW's whole transit instrument, and mural circle as well. Attests to Fraunhofer's artistry. Germans will soon leave no stars to discover. Wishes someone would import G. F. Reichenbach's meridian circle and use it on F. W. Bessel's plan. Suggests WW order clocks from [Robert] Molyneux or [William] Hardy.
Edinburgh Institution's decision to order instruments from Josef Fraunhofer should send message to 'dilatory and ... abominably expensive' English artists. Axis of Fraunhofer's 8-foot transit instrument is too long. Compares those of Cambridge, Greenwich, Paris, and James South. [Robert] Woodhouse's paper in 1825 R.S.P.T. eliminated JH's hope that Cambridge would devote time to general catalogue.
Edward Sabine declares that R.S.L. is hostile to ES's interests. If ES makes future claim for compensation, JH wants TY's opinion in writing. Need to order four night glasses for Fairlight Station. Encloses letter from [Richard] Copeland.
Encloses note from Sir John Barrow refusing scientific instruments and objecting to using barometers. Supplying cameras and sextants to Admiralty's marine survey is not interference by Board of Longitude. Sent JH's expenses to Edward Sabine; has no further word on subject. Encloses Mr. Stewart's note about damages at Wrotham.
JF was elected associate of Astronomical Society. Will send Society's Transactions and JH's 'Absorption of Light.' W. H. F. Talbot delivered JF's 'Crown glass Prism.' JH presented J. G. Soldner's observations to Society and proposed Soldner as associate.
Thomas Young approved supplying [Richard] Copeland with two sextants and one mountain barometer.