| RefNo | HS/19/3 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Summaries of letters between Sir John Frederick William Herschel and Alexis Bouvard |
| Date | 1820-1824 |
| Description | Summaries of four letters between French astronomer Alexis Bouvard (1767-1843) and Sir John Frederick William Herschel, made by the latter, likely as a calendar of exchanges related to the Royal Astronomical Society.
The notes are headed 'Bouvard', each letter is preceded with a reference (H1; B1;H2; B2; H3; H4) marking the correspondent H = Herschel; B=Bouvard.
H1: dated May 9 1820, invitation to join the newly-founded RAS
B1: dated June 1 1820, accepting invitation and sending full titles
H2: dated February 10 1821, announcing officially election to RAS
B2: dated April 20 1821, communicating the opinion of the French Board of Longitude on the subject of the prize question, announcing astronomical tables, sending his observations of the eclipse of September 7 1820.
H3: date unknown, answer to previous, no summary
H4: dated January 15 1824, apologising for not receiving 2 letters written by Bouvard, and proposing to acknowledge personnally all correspondence from Bouvard and the Board of Longitude going forward if Bouvard address could address all letters to " the foreign secretary of the Astronomical Society, 55 Lincolns Inn Square London" as in case of Herschel's absence another member would take over the correspondence, could the address and information be passed on to Arago, Laplace & Nicollet. Thanking Bouvard for care of Schenck's theodolite, announcing his work with South on the double stars, expressing a wish to hear 'from Mr Fourrier relation to a biography of my father'.
All letters are summarised in short paragraph, written in first person, signed JFWH at the end. |
| Extent | 2 ff. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| Dimensions | 33.5cm x 20 cm |
| Digital images | View item on Science in the Making |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| RelatedRecord | HS/20/128 |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8238 | Herschel; Sir; John Frederick William (1792 - 1871); mathematician and astronomer | 1792 - 1871 |