Against changing location of Royal Observatory [from Greenwich], but will defer to opinion of [G. B. Airy] Astronomer Royal. Airy is most competent to judge situation. Still ill.
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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.
Against changing location of Royal Observatory [from Greenwich], but will defer to opinion of [G. B. Airy] Astronomer Royal. Airy is most competent to judge situation. Still ill.
Too ill to work on anything besides nebula catalogue. Discusses recent meteorological phenomena, period of solar spots, and great pyramid.
Occupied with matters besides magnetism lately. Interest in science of Prince Consort [Albert] is praiseworthy. Discusses several observatories and letter of [T. W.?] Blakiston.
Lists magnetic books received from ES. It will be some time before JH can direct his attention to magnetic issues.
Asks for information concerning the magnetic observations and compilations made in various countries and regions.
Thanks for declination readings from photograms at Kew. Thinks meteorological observatory on Vesuvius is good idea, but not sure a magnetic one is. Includes two charts of world.
Has been too ill to write terrestrial magnetism paper for Edinburgh Review. Suggests other people to write it.
Advises on the construction of the Melbourne reflecting telescope. Thinks [W. P.] Wilson should come to watch construction.
Has signed certificate for [W. F.] Hook. [See ES 1861-12-5] Congratulates ES [on presidency of R.S.L.]. JH on B.A.A.S. balloon committee. Proposes design for metallic thermometer.
Pleased ES and [Balfour?] Stewart like plan for metallic thermometer. Suggests way to obviate effect of pendulous movement of the suspended weight.
Asks help of R.S.L. in reducing all observations to 1870 in JH's catalog of nebulae. Estimates cost at £10.
JH's catalog of nebulae, reduced to 1880 as originally planned, is nearly complete and consumed all of £20 granted by R.S.L. Seeks £16 more to expand catalog and reduce data to 1860, as recommended by G. B. Airy.
Needs to know soon if R.S.L. will approve grant to expand JH's catalog of nebulae. Otherwise G. B. Airy will dismiss man employed to do those computations. [JH annotation: Sent similar letter to G. G. Stokes on same date.]
Discusses proposed Melbourne telescope, including [William] Lassell's proposed mounting and its implications for observing nebulae.
Extensive comments on the type and construction of telescope to be supplied to Melbourne University.
[Rough draft (1p) crossed out, followed by:] Confidential propostion that G. B. Airy submitted to Board of Visitors is inappropriate. Queen's warrant does not empower Board to consider such matters.
Objects to Board of Visitors acting as 'self-constituted Court-Martial' to examine personal conduct of Board's chairman [James South], whom G. B. Airy no longer recognizes as competent. [JH notes that he did not send this letter, but kept it because it gave the reasons behind the shorter form [TxU:H/L-0374], which he preferred.]
Agrees that the pendulum should be observed at major Indian stations because Russians did not avail themselves of offered vacuum apparatus and pendulums.
Returns [Warren] de La Rue's letter and discusses its contents, especially the making, mounting, and mirror for de La Rue's reflecting telescope.
Expresses interest in Swedish plan to survey Spitzbergen and to measure meridian of arc. Discusses gravitometer being developed by [Jacques] Babinet.