| RefNo | HS/21/160 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Henry Smyth, dated at Feldhausen, Cape of Good Hope |
| Creator | Herschel; Sir; John Frederick William (1792 - 1871); astronomer and mathematician |
| Recipient | William Henry Smyth |
| Date | 15 May 1834 |
| Description | Copy of a letter. Describes voyage to Cape as being uneventful. 20-ft. reflector operating since late February; has already examined much of the southern sky. Believes the Milky Way is not equidistant from the earth at all points; and that the earth is between Canopus and Alpha Centauri. Amazed at clusters such as Omega Centauri. Describes richness of Magellanic Clouds. Details progress in erecting instruments. Sends observations of Alpha Crucis, which he believes is a double star. |
| Language | English |
| Extent | 3pp |
| Format | Manuscript |
| Place origin | Feldhausen, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa |
| Origin coordinates | -33.980556, 18.465278 |
| Digital images | View item on Science in the Making |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| URLDescription | Also available on Epsilon |
| URL | https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/herschel/letters/Herschel4439
|
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8238 | Herschel; Sir; John Frederick William (1792 - 1871); mathematician and astronomer | 1792 - 1871 |
| NA5062 | Smyth; William Henry (1788 - 1865) | 1788 - 1865 |