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From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
n.d.
Source of text:
RGO 6.381.440
Summary:

About the health of Richarda Airy, JH, and William Parsons [Earl of Rosse].

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
n.d.
Source of text:
RGO 6.368.624
Summary:

Is defending himself against attacks for having become involved in the succession for Surveyor-General of India; JH further comments on photographic experiments, using various parts of the spectrum.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[31 January 1824]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.4
Summary:

Sends GA information about indices of refraction in different glasses and in different parts of the spectrum; also recommends the writings of Josef Fraunhofer.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[24 April 1826]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.7
Summary:

Writes to urge GA to avail himself of the opportunity of working with Basil Hall in swinging the pendulum at Greenwich; concludes with a note for William Whewell about JH's view of the 'extremely irregular' figure of the earth.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[6 July 1826]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.9
Summary:

Comments on GA's observing in Cornwall, and on the geodetic calculations made by GA in a paper read by JH.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[1826-10]
Source of text:
RGO 6.807.22
Summary:

A letter of introduction for a Mr. Thomson, who intends to go to South America and establish schools, and wishes to talk to GA about university education.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[20 November 1826]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.11
Summary:

Comments on a paper on achromatic eyeglasses submitted by GA to the R.S.L.; also on a paper of William Whewell's on the operation of a pendulum.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[12 February 1827]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.13
Summary:

Talks at length about the operation of the Board of Longitude and of procedures GA should know if he wishes to present proposals to the Board; JH seems to be trying to calm down GA.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[4 March 1827]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.15
Summary:

Asks GA about the purpose of the request for the use of Christiaan Huygens's telescope in the possession of the R.S.L.; JH comments on the accuracy of James South's astronomical observations.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
1827-4
Source of text:
RGO 6.807.30
Summary:

A letter accompanying several other letters that might be of interest to GA; encourages GA to act quickly if he means to try for 'the appointment.'

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[7 April 1827]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.19
Summary:

Offers information, and strategy, which GA may find useful if he is seriously considering a position at Dublin Observatory; much of the information JH provides comes from Francis Beaufort.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[3 May 1827]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.21
Summary:

Comments on GA's response to an offer from Dublin [see JH's 1827-4-7]; also about the discussion in the Council of the R.S.L. of a report of experiments from William Whewell and GA; JH makes some disparaging remarks about the work of John Pond.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[18 May 1827]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.22
Summary:

Explains to GA the disposition, by the Committee on Papers of the R.S.L., of GA's experimental results [see JH's 1827-5-3].

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[18 October 1827]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.29
Summary:

Comments on GA's work on the solar tables, GA's pending paper on eyepieces, and on the quality of observations made at Greenwich and Paris; GA is intending to repeat the experiment of swinging a pendulum in a mine, and JH believes the Board of Longitude can provide the equipment.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[26 February 1828]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.41
Summary:

Informs GA that JH turned down the offer of the Lucasian Professorship at Cambridge, and suggests that Charles Babbage be offered the job.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[15 November 1828]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.58
Summary:

States JH's position on the question of publishing all the observations of an observatory, or working out results and publishing only those; notes clearness of Encke's Comet; comments on the return of Charles Babbage from abroad.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[7 December 1828]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.73
Summary:

Has prepared a paper on the doctrine of sound; expects to be up to spend several days with GA at the Cambridge Observatory.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[6 December 1829]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.118
Summary:

Comments on several astronomical topics, viz., the publication of unreduced observations, the strange behavior of some of GA's clocks, the problem of no significant stars in some areas when sweeping the sky, and the effects of Venus and the Moon on each other's behavior; asks GA for confirmation of some star positions.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[9 March 1830]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.130
Summary:

Sets out JH's preferences with regard to developing a system of reductions of astronomical observations that could then be easily applied.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
George Biddell Airy
Date:
[25 May 1830]
Source of text:
RGO 6.803.137
Summary:

About the prices of telescope mirrors, and specifically the one of T. J. Hussey; recommends use of certain stars to test the optical quality of the mirror.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project