Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy by George Biddell Airy (e ink epub reader .TXT) 📖

to be applied with success to Government chronometers which offer facilities for its introduction, and a marked improvement in the performance of chronometers returned after repair by the makers appears to have resulted from the increased attention now given to the compensation. Of the 29 competitive chronometers, 25 have the supplementary compensation."--With regard to the reduction of the observations of the Transit of Venus: After reference to the difficulties arising from the errors and the interpretation of the language used by some of the observers, the Report continues thus: "Finally a Report was made to the Government on July 5th, giving as the mean result for Mean Solar Parallax 8".76; the results from ingress and from egress, however, differing to the extent of 0".11.... After further examination and consideration, the result for parallax has been increased to 8".82 or 8".83. The results from photography have disappointed me much. The failure has arisen, perhaps sometimes from irregularity of limb, or from atmospheric distortion, but more frequently from faintness and from want of clear definition. Many photographs, which to the eye appeared good, lost all strength and sharpness when placed under the measuring microscope. A final result 8".17 was obtained from Mr Burton's measures, and 8".08 from Capt. Tupman's.--With regard to the Numerical Lunar Theory: A cursory collection of the terms relating to the Areas (in the Ecliptic) led me to suppose that there might be some error in the computations of the Annual Equation and related terms. A most jealous re-examination has however detected nothing, and has confirmed my belief in the general accuracy of the numerical computations. I dare not yet venture to assume an error in Delaunay's theory; but I remember that the Annual Equation gave great trouble to the late Sir John Lubbock, and that he more than once changed his conclusions as to its true value.--In February I was engaged on the drawings and preparations for my intended Lecture at Cockermouth on the probable condition of the interior of the Earth. The Lecture was delivered in April.--At different times in the autumn I was engaged on diagrams to illustrate the passage of rays through eye-pieces and double-image micrometers.--The miscellaneous scientific correspondence, which was always going on, was in this year unusually varied and heavy."

Of private history: He was at Playford till Jan. 26th.--In April he went to Cockermouth to deliver his Lecture above-mentioned: the journey was by Birmingham, where he stayed for two days (probably with his son Osmund, who resided there), to Tarn Bank (the residence of Isaac Fletcher, M.P.): the lecture was delivered on the 22nd: he made excursions to Thirlmere and Barrow, and to Edward I.'s Monument, and returned to Greenwich on the 27th.--From June 17th to 28th he was at Playford.--From Aug. 19th to Sept. 17th he was travelling in Scotland, visiting the Tay Bridge, the Loch Katrine Waterworks, &c., and spent the last fortnight of his trip at Portinscale, near Keswick. On Dec. 23rd he went to Playford.


1879

"The manuscripts of every kind, which are accumulated in the ordinary transactions of the Observatory, are preserved with the same care and arranged on the same system as heretofore. The total number of bound volumes exceeds 4000. Besides these there is the great mass of Transit of Venus reductions and manuscripts, which when bound may be expected to form about 200 volumes.--With regard to the numerous group of Minor Planets, the Berlin authorities have most kindly given attention to my representation, and we have now a most admirable and comprehensive Ephemeris. But the extreme faintness of the majority of these bodies places them practically beyond the reach of our meridian instrument, and the difficulty of observation is in many cases further increased by the large errors of the predicted places.--After a fine autumn, the weather in the past winter and spring has been remarkably bad. More than an entire lunation was lost with the Transit Circle, no observation of the Moon on the meridian having been possible between January 8 and March 1, a period of more than seven weeks. Neither Sun nor stars were visible for eleven days, during which period the clock-times were carried on entirely by the preceding rate of the clock. The accumulated error at the end of this time did not exceed 0s'3.--Some difficulty was at first experienced with the Thomson Electrometer, which was traced to want of insulation. This has been mastered by the use of glass supporters, which carry some sulphuric acid. The instrument is now in excellent order, and the photographic registers have been perfectly satisfactory since 1879, February, when the new insulators were applied.--From the annual curves of diurnal inequality, deduced from the Magnetic Reductions, most important inferences may be drawn, as to the connection between magnetic phenomena and sun-spots. These annual curves shew a well-marked change in close correspondence with the number of sun-spots. About the epoch of maximum of sun-spots they are large and nearly circular, having the same character as the curves for the summer months; whilst about the time of sun-spot minimum they are small and lemniscate-shaped, with a striking resemblance to the curves for the winter months. The connection between changes of terrestrial magnetism and sun-spots is shewn in a still more striking manner by a comparison which Mr Ellis has made between the monthly means of the diurnal range of declination and horizontal force, and Dr R. Wolf's 'relative numbers' for frequency of sun-spots.--The records of sunshine with Campbell's Registering Sun-dial are preserved in a form easily accessible for reference, and the results are communicated weekly to the Agricultural Gazette.--Prof. Oppolzer's results for the determination of the longitudes of Vienna and Berlin, made in 1877, have now been made public. They shew a remarkable agreement of the Chronometric determination formerly made with the Telegraphic. It may be of interest to recall the fact that a similar agreement was found between the Chronometric and Telegraphic determinations of the longitude of Valentia.--For observing the Transit of Venus of 1882, the general impression appears to be that it will be best to confine our observations to simple telescopic observations or micrometer observations at Ingress and Egress, if possible at places whose longitudes are known. For the first phenomenon (accelerated ingress) the choice of stations is not good; but for the other phenomena (retarded ingress, accelerated egress, retarded egress) there appears to be no difficulty.--With regard to the Numerical Lunar Theory: Respecting the discordance of Annual Equation, I suspend my judgment. I have now discussed the theory completely; and in going into details of secular changes, I am at this time engaged on that which is the foundation of all, namely, the change of excentricity of the Solar Orbit, and its result in producing Lunar Acceleration. An important error in the theoretical formulae for Variations of Radius Vector, Longitude, and Latitude, was discovered; some calculations depending on them are cancelled."--Referring to the magnitude of the printed volume of "Greenwich Observations," and the practicability of reducing the extent of it, the Report states thus: "The tendency of external scientific movement is to give great attention to the phenomena of the Solar disc (in which this Observatory ought undoubtedly to bear its part). And I personally am most unwilling to recede from the existing course of magnetical and meteorological observations....The general tendency of these considerations is to increase the annual expenses of the Observatory. And so it has been, almost continuously, for the last 42 years. The annual ordinary expenses are now between 2-1/2 and 3 times as great as in my first years at the Royal Observatory.--Mr Gill was appointed to the Cape Observatory, and I wrote out instructions for him in March: there was subsequently much correspondence respecting the equipment and repairs of the Cape Observatory."--In the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society for January an article had appeared headed "Notes on the late Admiral Smyth's Cycle of Celestial Objects, Vol. II." by Mr Herbert Sadler. In this article Mr Sadler had criticized the work of Admiral Smyth in a manner which Airy regarded as imputing bad faith to Admiral Smyth. He at once took up the defence of his old friend very warmly, and proposed certain Drafts of Resolutions to the Council of the Society. These Resolutions were moved, but were amended or negatived, and Airy immediately resigned his office of Vice-President. There was considerable negociation on the subject, and discussion with Lord Lindsay, and on May 9th Airy's Resolutions were accepted by the Council.--In October Airy inspected the "Faraday" telegraph ship, then lying in the river near Messrs Siemens' works, and broke his finger by a fall on board the vessel.--In this year Airy wrote and circulated a letter to the Members of the Senate of the University of Cambridge, on the subject of the Papers set in the Smith's Prizes Examination. In this letter, as on former occasions, he objected much to the large number of questions in "purely idle algebra, arbitrary combinations of symbols, applicable to no further purpose." And in particular he singled out for comment the following question, which was one of those set, "Using the term circle as extending to the case where the radius is a pure imaginary, it is required to construct the common chord of two given circles." This drew forth as usual a rejoinder from Prof. Cayley, who wrote enclosing a solution of his problem, but not at all to Airy's satisfaction, who replied as follows: "I am not so deeply plunged in the mists of impossibles as to appreciate fully your explanation in this instance, or to think that it is a good criterion for University candidates."

Of private history: On Jan. 21st he returned from Playford.--On March 22nd he attended the funeral of his sister at Little Welnetham near Bury St Edmunds: Miss Elizabeth Airy had lived with him at the Observatory from shortly after his appointment.--For about a week at the end of April he was visiting Matlock, Edensor, and Buxton.--From June 14th to July 18th he was staying at Portinscale near Keswick.--He was at Playford for two or three days in October, and went there again on Dec. 23rd for his usual winter holiday.

The following letter, relating to the life of Thomas Clarkson, was written to Dr Merivale, Dean of Ely, after reading the account in the "Times" of October 10th of the unveiling of a statue of Clarkson near Ware:


ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH,
LONDON, S.E.
_1879, October 11_.

DEAR SIR,

Pardon my intrusion on you, in reference to a transaction which has greatly interested me--the honour paid by you to the memory of Thomas Clarkson. With very great pleasure I have heard of this step: and I have also been much satisfied with the remarks on it in the "Times." I well remember, in Clarkson's "History of the Abolition," which I read some 60 years ago, the account of the circumstance,