| RefNo | MS/603/6/187 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from William Huggins, 90 Upper Tulse Hill, S W [South West] London, to the Secretary [Joseph Larmor] |
| Creator | Huggins; Sir William (1824-1910); British astronomer |
| Recipient | Larmor; Sir Joseph (1857-1942); Irish theoretical physicist |
| Date | 29 May 1909 |
| Description | Huggins agrees with [George Downing] Liveing that the money for radium might come come out of the Royal Society's fund, but feels it ought to be a loan. Huggins's book is now in type, although many of the illustrations have been delayed. He thinks the book may be out by the end of June, but is considering waiting until of October to publish it, as many people go out of town in July. He is delighted that Larmor is having a rest in Canada, but hopes he will not be '"captured" by the overpowering of any great University across the water'. He then muses about what view to take of the evolution of the solar system, as 'It is not so long ago that we were all comfortably nestled asleep, in [Pierre-Simon de] Laplace's bosom' before '[Thomas Chrowder] Chamberlin and [Forest Ray] Moulton hustled us out into the cold'. He then touches on [Svante]Arrhenius and [Thomas Jefferson Jackson] See, the latter of which has written to say that he has "vigorous mathematical proof that not only the planets by the sun, but all the satellites of the planets have been captured". Huggins ends by asking if Larmor himself could 'become our shepherd and lead us into the fair & green pastures of evolutionary truth?'. |
| Extent | 4p |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA7376 | Huggins; Sir; William (1824 - 1910); astronomer | 1824 - 1910 |
| NA7894 | Larmor; Sir; Joseph (1857 - 1942); physicist | 1857 - 1942 |