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Selwyn, William in addressee 
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From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[22 November 1861]
Source of text:
RS:HS 23.349
Summary:

Has no suggestions to improve photographs. Wants to determine whether the degradation of light from center to edge of sun is 'real.' Does not think sun's size affects focus.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[16 October 1862]
Source of text:
RS:HS 15.471 (C: RS:HS 23.389)
Summary:

Has photographs of September 23 . Desires half pictures 'with the sun's limb in the middle of the view.' Cannot yet draw conclusions about the notches of the limb.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[1 January 1865]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.80
Summary:

Thanks WS for his Iliad translation. JH has just finished Book 3 of his own translation of the Iliad.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[26 February 1866]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.143
Summary:

Has heard about William Whewell's accident. Hopes he will recover, but knows his advanced age may hinder this. Wishes WS to send news of progress.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[5 March 1866]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.146
Summary:

Thinks William Whewell's excitement may be a 'precursor to exhaustion.' The hope of recovery is very slight. JH is interested in Whewell's article on Plato.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[7 March 1866]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.147
Summary:

Thanks WS for communicating the events of William Whewell's last days.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[2 April 1866]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.150
Summary:

Discusses how to denote the positions of the celestial bodies in solar photographs. Advocates a system that shows differences of heliocentric longitude on the sides of the sun.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[6 April 1866]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.151
Summary:

Helioautographs are beautiful. Advises keeping original plan for presentation. Says 'Clarke's' [Harvey Carlisle's] article on William Whewell in MacMillan's is satisfactory. Describes an 'absurd paragraph' regarding Whewell in François Moigno's Mondes.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[20 August 1866]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.164
Summary:

Says the plan for the exhibition is ingenious. Discusses the 11 year cycle of sunspots and says the sun was spotless the previous day.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[14 December 1866]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.181
Summary:

Congratulates WS on his recovery. Thanks him for the meteor observations. The evidence points to an 11 rather than a 10 year period [in sunspots?].

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[17 January 1867]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.183 & draft: RS:HS 15.490
Summary:

Thanks WS for describing Aristotle's and Richard Whately's observation of the great sensitivity of the eye's lateral portion. Congratulates WS on becoming Dean of Norwich. Draft discusses miracles and lists possible arguments against WS's idea that miracles are not a violation of nature

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[21 February 1868]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.212
Summary:

Discusses the sudden motion of some sunspots. Does not think planetary action is a very probable cause. Discusses upcoming conjunction of Venus and Jupiter.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[1 August 1868]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.222
Summary:

Thanks WS for 'Genevieve' translation. Will not continue the Dante because a Terza Rima translation has been done previously. The sun is behaving oddly.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[26 September 1868]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.228
Summary:

Describes the peculiar pairs of sunspots he has recently witnessed. Thinks the earth affected their appearance somehow. Is using the Julian calendar for dating observations.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[23 October 1868]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.234
Summary:

Some photographs support the sudden disappearance of the spot on 17 Sept. Some photographs are misdated. The relation of Jupiter and sunspots suggests previously unknown interconnections in the solar system.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
1869-10
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.289
Summary:

Sends [William Whewell's] 'Isle of Sirens' and an acknowledgement to it in 'skimble skamble Hexameters.' Is eager to receive solar photographs and will send others by Professor [George?] Morton.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[23 October 1869]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.288
Summary:

Is working on a compilation of the measures of double stars. If [Rudolf] Wolf's period of 11.11 years is correct, why should 1810-11, a minimum, mark the first observations of solar spots?

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[1869-11?]
Source of text:
RS:HS 15.514
Summary:

Discusses discrepencies between his observations for September and WS's photograph. It seems the new spots result from Jupiter being in opposition.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[3 November 1869]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.292
Summary:

Describes the similarities between JH's sketches and WS's photographs of sunspots. Has greater faith in own observations. Wishes WS would add Julian dates. Sends Professor [George?] Morton's photographs.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
William Selwyn
Date:
[23 April 1870]
Source of text:
RS:HS 24.304
Summary:

Asks whether WS has photographs of the sun for 21 and 22 April. Notes how curious sunspot activity has been. Doubts that such is reconcilable with the notion of 'meteoric in-falls.'

Contributor:
John Herschel Project