Autobiography of Sir George Biddell AiryAiry, George Biddell
Science
Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy
Airy, George Biddell
Airy, George Biddell, 1801-1892; Astronomers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Autobiographies; Royal Greenwich Observatory
"At Greenwich:--In April I drew up a little history of the Observatory
for the Penny Cyclopaedia.--On June 30th the Lords of the Admiralty
paid a short visit to the Observatory: on this occasion Mr Wood
suggested a passage connecting the Observatory with the
dwelling-house, and I subsequently prepared sketches for it; it was
made in the next year.--In the course of the year the Sheepshanks
Equatoreal was mounted, and Encke's Comet was observed with it from
Oct. 26th to Nov. 13th.--On Mar. 31st, &c. I reported to the Admiralty
on the selection of chronometers for purchase, from a long list: this
was an important beginning of a new system.--The Magnetic Observatory
was built, in the form originally planned for it (a four-armed cross
with equal arms, one axis being in the magnetic meridian) in the
beginning of this year. (No alteration has since been made in form up
to the present time, 1871, except that the north arm has been
lengthened 8 feet a few years ago.) On May 21st a magnet was suspended
for the first time, Mr Baily and Lieut. (afterwards Sir William)
Denison being present.--Groombridge's Catalogue was finished, and on
Mar. 3rd I arranged for sending out copies.--The Planetary Reductions
were carried on vigorously. On May 31st, 1838, the Treasury assented
to the undertaking of the Lunar Reductions and allotted _£2,000_ for
it: preparations were made, and in the autumn 7 computers were
employed upon it. It will easily be seen that this undertaking added
much to my labours and cares.--The geodetic affairs of the Cape of
Good Hope began to be actively pressed, and in February Beaufort wrote
to me in consequence of an application from Maclear, asking about a
standard of length for Maclear (as foundation for a geodetic
survey). I made enquiries, and on Mar. 13th wrote to Mr Wood, alluding
also generally to the want of a National English standard after the
destruction of the Houses of Parliament. On Apr. 24th the Admiralty
sanctioned my procuring proper Standard Bars.--In connection with the
Cavendish Experiment, I have an immense quantity of correspondence
with Mr Baily, and all the mathematics were furnished by me: the
experiment was not finished at the end of the year.--The Perturbations
of Uranus were now attracting attention. I had had some correspondence
on this subject with Dr Hussey in 1834, and in 1837 with Eugène
Bouvard. On Feb. 24th, of 1838, I wrote to Schumacher regarding the
error in the tabular radius-vector of Uranus, which my mode of
reducing the observations enabled me to see.
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