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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.
Sends positions of Biela's Comet. Has much success with repolished telescope mirrors and collimator. Designs equatorial revolving roof for Cape observations; sends sketches. Compares WS's, W. R. Dawes's, and JH's observations of Gamma Virginis.
Intends to visit WS after attending Cambridge B.A.A.S. meeting.
Reports observations with WS's equatorial during Bedford visit. Packs instruments for voyage. Pleased that Thomas Maclear will take post of Astronomer Royal at the Cape Observatory.
Unable to send Gamma Virginis observations because papers are packed. Declines offer of WS's transit circle for use at Cape.
Chooses a publisher and printer for Cape Results. Decides against getting portrait painted. Makes suggestions for observations.
Does not have operational telescope. Suggests WS set 1840 as epoch.
On the questions of the usefulness of occultations and the use of mean time in astronomy, JH would much value WS's opinions.
Wants WS to make a choice between the several skeleton forms JH has devised for recording astronomical observations. Also comments on orbit of Gamma Virginis and 30 Scorpii, as well as Encke's Comet.
As no one seemed to be finding Biela's Comet, JH sat up several nights looking for it and now has located it.
Explains, according to the laws of probability, how the arrows should have been distributed on the archery target at St. Leonard's, and compares that with the actual distribution.
Informs WS that JH located Encke's Comet the previous night, and gives the location.
Discusses contribution of WS's son, C. P. Smyth, as Thomas Maclear's assistant. Discusses observations of Halley's Comet, Gamma Virginis, other celestial objects, and the use of a double image micrometer.
Suggests method to check the effectiveness of James Dunlop's work at Paramatta Obsrvatory..
Sends copy of Cycle of Celestial Objects. Meets an excellent optician named [Richard?] Gwatkin, who shows him four self-made telescopes.
Sends comet observations from W. S. Jacob. Obtains 'another excellent epoch of Gamma Virginis.'
Believes that Thomas Galloway's paper on solar motion deserves a medal.
Thanks JH for Gamma Virginis observations, which are finally in accord with his. Sends observation of the double stars JH suggested watching. Works with Richard Sheepshanks. Francis Baily delivers details on Edinburgh meeting of philosophers. Sends news from Niccolo Cacciatore, who has returned to the Observatory in Naples.
Sends WS William Herschel's chromatic observations of Beta Cygni. Completing 'Catalogue of Nebulae.' Works on translating Book IX of Iliad; fears he will not complete translation of Iliad.
Asks JH to write an abstract of the discourse JH presented to R.A.S. Moon model is on display at R.A.S.
Compiles published work, unpublished work, and lectures; asks JH to proof the compilation. Discusses meetings of R.S.L. concerning charter by-laws.