Showing 21–40 of 84 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.
Requests information concerning a letter to the Treasury, which ES had asked JH to write, regarding funding for [meteorological] stations in Vancouver, Shanghai, Newfoundland, and the Falkland Islands.
Will accompany ES to Kew Observatory. Serving as legatee for the recently deceased Elizabeth Baily, sister of Francis Baily.
Reluctant to recommend undertaking major scientific projects in colonies at government expense. Believes situation there will work itself out.
Thanks Mrs. Sabine for translation of third volume of Alexander von Humboldt's Kosmos. Admires its author. Questions references in notes. Discusses meeting for Wintringham Committee.
Describes in detail proceedings of a committee meeting, particularly noting remarks made about ES and stressing committee's wish to see evidence of progress.
Mentions cirrus cloud formations foreshadowing aurora. Is unable to attend R.S.L. committee meetings and concerned that 'outlying' members be able to relay opinions through letters.
Regarding report on magnetic observatories to be laid before R.S.L. president and council.
Thanks to [Francis] Ronalds for supply of paper. Comments on ES's discovery about direction of change in earth's magnetism, relating it to sun's and other electric currents. In this light, discusses auroras. Mentions abolishing of R.S.L. scientific committees and possible successor to John Caldecott.
Remarks on a correction in manual regarding some fluctuation of heating and cooling.
Is glad to sign certificate. Complains about tendency of Alexander von Humboldt, whose volume Mrs. Sabine is translating, to ignore other scientists' work.
Recommends use of photography to prepare records of sunspot activity. Makes suggestions on how this could be done most effectively.
Returns JH report with one correction, substituting Kazan for North Cape, because [Christopher] Hansteen cannot find Norwegian observers. Will make copies of its final form and take one to B.A.A.S. meeting in Aberdeen. Mr. Bolyani has visited every magnetic observatory in Europe. 1854 was the year of minimum magnetic disturbances in Peking.
Sends Council report to be read next week. Instructed printers Taylor & Francis to accept any changes that JH may request. Sent copies of JH's report to Humphrey Lloyd and G. B. Airy. Gives ES's address in Scotland.
Received series of actinometer observations from [Joseph] Dayman aboard Rattlesnake. JH's trip to Continent. Completion of Francis Ronalds's magnetographs. Improved access to Kew Observatory by railway. Next committee meeting. Bakerian lecture by Michael Faraday.
Replies to specific requests by committee for summary of benefits from research in terrestrial magnetism and meteorology and for ES's opinion on continuance of observatories. [JH annotation: Routing list to G. B. Airy, George Peacock, and William Whewell.]
Sends proofs of editor's notes from vol. 4 of [Elizabeth J. Sabine's] translation of Alexander von Humboldt's] Cosmos. Assumes that JH and magnetic committee members all have copies of 'Introduction' to vol. 3 of Toronto observations. Managed to clear up 'mystification' in J. B. Biot's account of pendulum experiments.
ES's paper on magnetic observatories in colonies is same as 'Introduction' to vol. 3 of Toronto observations. Publisher has delayed [Elizabeth J. Sabine's] translation of vol. 4 of Cosmos; please send JH's copy of 'Editor's Notes' to other members of magnetic committee. J. B. Biot intentionally subordinated English pendulum experiments to French experiments, and Alexander von Humboldt was misled.
Current activities at magnetic observatories at Cape of Good Hope, Hobart [Tasmania], and Toronto. Future avenues for research in terrestrial magnetism include correlation with sunspot cycles, annual seasons, parallels of latitude, and lunar position. Urges establishment of many more observing stations. [JH annotation: Routing list to G. B. Airy, George Peacock, and William Whewell.]
Forwards report, just received, of three years of lunar diurnal variation at Cape of Good Hope. [JH annotation: Routing list to G. B. Airy, George Peacock, and William Whewell.]
Will leave London for several weeks when ES's wife is well. Alexander von Humboldt is pleased with English translation of Cosmos. Preparations for magnetic research in Australia, Bavaria, [British] Guiana, and Mauritius. [JH annotation: Routing list to G. B. Airy, George Peacock, and William Whewell.]