Showing 1–19 of 19 items
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.
Has passed on the papers sent by FA. Tables of chief stars. Observations on FA's letter of 28 October 1842 [see FA's 1842-10-28]. Sends observations of Orionis.
Comments on some papers on vision and photography by Mr. Moser, and compares this with some of JH's own writings on the subject.
Has arranged meeting to discuss N. L. Lacaille's observations. Sends a toy purchased in the streets of London.
Has seen G. B. Airy. No meeting at Airy's. Further regarding reports of the recent eclipse.
Unwilling to come to a meeting as JH anticipates the return of some of his children from the continent; seems considerable confusion as to who is to do what about star catalogues [see GA's 1841-7-27].
Has been working at [L. F.] Moser's experiments and believes he is wrong in considering latent light as the agent that produces the photographic image. Read a paper last evening on the subject, which will be printed. Has been producing images by the action of heat and electricity and proposes to call this process Thermography.
Is anxious about his aunt Caroline Herschel and would like news of her health.
Has written to G. B. Airy. Regarding the various reports of the recent eclipse.
Enclosing his observations of Alpha Virginis for the past year. Has been attempting some improvements in the double refracting crystal micrometer. Comments on this and his findings. Would like JH's comments.
Continues horary observations suggested by JH. Also magnetic observations. Discusses observations of migration of birds. November has been cloudy so far and meteors cannot be seen.
More about Prussian Order of Merit; further annual parallax observations, together with comments on other observations.
Received JF's paper on 'thermographic process.' Believes that thermic rays were responsible for experimental results of JF, J. W. Draper, and Ludwig Moser. JH's theory of and experiments with thermic rays, which are different from 'calorific' and visible rays, in solar spectrum.
Readings of comets.
A note accompanying a sample of high quality ferrocyanide of [iron?].
Thanks AD for the corrections to JH's writing on astronomy; congratulates AD on his book on differential calculus.
Was pleased to receive JH's letter and to read that he had really proved the existence of [invisible light?]. One of his students has produced images on copper plates by sulfur fumes. Has just seen Macedoine Melloni's memoir, which is now governed by JH's views.
Thanks for the gift of the book. Thomas Longman is now the editor of Lardner's Cyclopaedia. Latitude of the pole star incorrect in Charles Knight's publications. Regarding truth.
Would like JH's advice how to obtain a place in Christ's Hospital for his brother-in-law. Queries regarding the firing of shot guns and on the spectrum.
Thanks JH for advice on the issue of P.M. that has just been published.