Some personal and some general astronomical news.
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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.
Some personal and some general astronomical news.
JH reiterates his support of a South Polar expedition.
Is anxious to hear from HL about his ideas for a major expedition for magnetic observations being considered by the B.A.A.S.
Further comments in preparation for discussion of major expedition [see JH's 1838-10-22] with representatives of the government.
Would like a statement from Edward Sabine and HL outlining the probable expense and materials required for the proposed expedition so that he can hand it to the government at the interview. Has written to G. B. Airy, who is not in favor of the proposed expedition, so will write again. Thinks it necessary for men of science to agree before presenting petitions to the government.
Passes on the suggestion, from G. B. Airy, of the use of copper rings for damping the movements of measuring instruments in measuring terrestrial magnetism.
Responds positively to HL's 1839-4-17, and adds some additional comments.
About times at which magnetic observations should be made at each observation station.