| RefNo | HSF/2/1/94 |
| Previous numbers | 32.8.78 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from J [John] Herschel, Bangalore [Bengaluru], to 'Dear Pater' [Sir John Frederick William Herschel] |
| Creator | Herschel; John (1837-1921); British army officer and astronomer |
| Date | 3 May 1869 |
| Description | Mary [Mary Cornwallis Herschel] has been urging him to write, despite his workload. He has meant to, if only to acknowledge the chart and letter. He asks his father to read and forward an enclosure [not present] to Mr [William] Huggins. His own feelings are of surprise and vexation that so much time has been lost in making a discovery. There is only consolation in that Mr [J Norman] Lockyer has taken pains and has not been forestalled by any other fortunate observer with a good telescope and spectroscope. The scientific fact [the discovery of helium] could have been grasped by several, but it was contrary to what was generally believed; one or two authorities barred the way. One reviewer wrote that John's observations of the eclipse were the most accurate of the English observers, but he saw and learned so much more this morning, and might have done anytime in the past year. He gives an account of using coloured glass which he ordered when [Pierre] Janssen's observations were current in last year. Although the question had passed on, he tried them that morning, seeing the [spectroscopic] line in the undefended part of the slit, focussed on the Sun's limb. He saw he could do without the coloured glass and he could see the three lines, and at one place the red was very bright, like a coloured ribbon. He noted some peculiarities of distribution of the luminous envelope and was not sure if he was looking at a local flame or at the general envelope. The dry and dusty state of the atmosphere is now unfavourable to observation and the image is unsteady because of the heat. The [Argus] nebula appears to have waned and he could not draw a good likeness of it now. The relative positions of some of the smaller stars are altered. |
| Extent | 4p. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA7955 | Herschel; John (1837 - 1921) | 1837 - 1921 |