| Description | Summaries of exchanges between Austrian astronomer Joseph Johann von Littrow (1781-1840) and Sir John Frederick William Herschel, made by the latter, likely as a calendar of exchanges related to his time as Foreign Secretary to the Astronomical Society.
The notes are headed 'Littrow' and mention his interest to become an associate of the RAS, letters are summarised briefly, with inconsistent numbering and references.
Letters, from Littrow dated as follows:
- May 16 1821, thanking for the RAS association and offer to support, declaring himself an enemy of the use repeating circle and sending brochure on the topic.
- Second letter was summarised in pencil and erased - only traces remain
- October ... 1821 - received through Leonard & Coxe, parcel of books
- June 26 1821, Vienna, sending his book on Theoretical and Practical Astronomy. Also sends books for Thomas Catton. Praising Struve's transit observations.
From Herschel dated as follows:
- December 11 1821: announcing election as associate to the RAS, thanking him for books, questioning reliance of Struve's transit observations of Delta RA of double stars. Relaying in full Pond's investigation of the "cause of the anomalous results afforded by the mural circle at Greenwhich" due to a loosening of screws. Pond therefore places little dependence on its observations since late 1819. Sends John Brinkley's analysis [of April 1821 comet observed by Basil Hall in southern hemisphere]. Asks about Halley's Comet and parallax. Wants information on object glasses of 6-inch diameter or greater. Requests copy of Littrow's annual published observations.
Note that "Mr Baily dispatched to Mr Littrow , unknown [to Herschel] his copy of his Transactions of the RAS i. part 1
Letters, from Littrow dated as follows:
- March 28 1822, received a letter dated March 13, 1822. Sends an essay on his mode of finding latitude by the pole star [nota bene from Herschel: "this neat little essay & tables I translated & read at a meeting of the [Astronomical Society - It was not ordered to be printed, it being given in French in Corresp. Astron. almost verbatim - but [...]Dr Pearson has printed it in his Pract. Astron."[ the last part is underlined in blue pencil]. Asking Sir John Herschel what he thinks of Josef Fraunhofer's micometer for observing double star. Littrow mentions writing on his 42nd birthday (March 13 1781), born in Bohemia the day William Herschel discovered Uranus. "Gossip about Arago and Zach - gneral invectives on the stupidity of the German literati"
- May 18 1822 [note in blue pencil: note order of date in reading]. Including books and list of distribution of the titles by Herschel with note on the book kept personally. Littrow desires a Molyneux Clock. Approves of Herschel's idea of the "insufficiency of Struve's observations by transit to decide on the difference of RA between double stars". Complaints of want of good instruments in Germany. Essay on Pond's polar distance read at the Astronomical SocietyFrid. June [in blue pencil: 14th, see diary]. Account of Fraunhofer's object glasses and Bessel's use of them.
Letters from Herschel copied in full, dated:
June 25, 1822, Slough. Summarising the circulation of books sent in the previous with possible more publications and sending copies of letters, catalogues and memoirs to Littrow, including William Herschel's papers on double stars, Troughton's paper on repeat circle and various essays from himself, Wollaston. Comments on the magnifying power of Fraunhofer's object glasses and his own method of observation. Sending over a letter from Pond. Mentions Major Kater's clock, Frauhenhofer's micrometer. Mentions the first stone of the Cambridge observatory ought to be laid that summer, followed by postscriptum. mentioning the observatory should be completed in October 1823.
Jan. 13 1823 addressed to Molyneux & Cope, passing on Littrow's satisfaction for the clock and ordering another for Colonel Fallon for May, the request having been transmitted by Littrow.
Jan. 21 1824, copied in abstract. Money for the Molineux clock has not reached Herschel yet. Order of Colonel Fallon's clock. Discusses the circulation of various essays by Feurbach and Littrow himself, either communicated to the RAS, or to be translated/ printed, notion of Praff's translation of William Herschel's work. |