Showing 41–60 of 398 items
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.
Sends the Tide observations made in Table Bay. These are now at a standstill due to the expense involved. Tomorrow he intends to engage the Tide Master. Do they wind up with a dinner?
Only made two copies of the Tide Observations, one for the Observatory and one to be forwarded to the Admiralty. Is engaged instrumentally with the transit instrument. Has engaged a new carpenter for the observatory.
Sorry to have forgotten the curves; now encloses them. A. Walter has been here and brought the scrap he now encloses. Walter's tidal observations have been useless so far.
Reports having read the record JH sent of [tidal] observations and comments on it.
Has been observing since 3 a.m. and his fingers are powerless with the cold. Observed a star group, which may be Halley's Comet. Comments on the working of his telescope. Has JH placed his 20-ft. telescope in position for the Blueberg Mountains?
Sorry to hear he had such wretched weather for their jaunt. The violent winds overturned his 14-ft. reflector and split the tube. Has obtained a capital tent for the Cape. No news from England. Commences the solar observations tomorrow, if fine.
On the evening on which JH was at the Observatory, he believes he observed Encke's Comet; gives details. Searched this morning for Halley's Comet, without success. Rejoices to hear that G. B. Airy has been secured for the public service. No news from England.
Wind prevents the measurement of Encke's comet from the small stars in the neighborhood. Nothing nebulous in Halley's predicted place. Admiral Patrick Campbell is expected to advance the money for the enclosure. Laborer is employed digging a trench round the Observatory.
N. L. Lacaille's quadrant appears to have been shipped to England and landed at Portsmouth Dockyard. Will put the ball on the new flagstaff to be erected. Has spoken to George Eden (1st Earl of Auckland) about the Simon's Bay tide machine.
Mr. Stone has informed about the discovery of the comet. This may cause complications. Sends the ledger of Fearon Fallows, where JH will find other comparisons.
JH cannot lay on too much of this kind of work, the closer in AR [Right Ascension] the better. Comments on the list of stars. The comet should be preceded by certain stars, some of which he cannot identify. If JH cannot see the comet for the trees come to the Observatory.
Many thanks for the seeds. Will record in the minutes the source of the plants. Breakfast will await JH's arrival. Has been comet hunting every morning to no purpose.
As the error of the African chronometer is only 0m 1.1s fast on Cape mean time, he sends it. James Adamson is with TM or TM would avail himself of JH's invitation. The comet was superb last night. A most interesting phenomenon last night was the motion of the comet's nucleus over a small star.
Gives measurements for the nucleus noted in his letter of 26 Jan. Regrets the delay of the last list of stars. Wind was tremendous last evening. Feared for the safety of the dome. Finds there is a quantity of sand in the box chronometer.
Many thanks for the portrait; it shall soon have a resting place. Will not rest until the comet observations are en route to England. T. G. Taylor does not observe himself. There was a beautiful occultation of three stars last night.
Would welcome changes in the nomenclature of the constellations. Hesitates to compute the observations of John Burrow.
Dr. Andrew Smith called yesterday. Has succeeded in establishing a postal system for the Observatory. The comet was faint last evening. Had a parcel from the Admiralty but no word about the tide gauge. Sends the Simon's Bay observations, also the P. P. Barraud chronometer, which loses time at a great rate.
Believes his acquaintance with the comet is drawing to a close. A 30" transit was placed in the meridian last night. Returns the Pulkova observations. Believes the bad weather may have upset Lady Herschel's journey.
Believes the wires are 0.2" thicker than the old ones. Dust has settled on the parallel wires of the telescope. Advises how adjustment may be made to JH's micrometer for parallelism.
Was necessary to reduce the whole of the sixth months' observations. More scanty than he desired but much of his time was taken up observing the comet stars. Is now busy with the comet stars. Does not send the precession as JH has them in his list.