| Description | Present at the meeting: the President [the Earl of Macclesfield] in the chair.
The following had leave to be present;
Mr Perry and Dr Gifford by Dr Morton
Mr Frankcome and Mr Jones by Mr Baker
Mr Minchin, Mr Stansfeldand Dr Hinchley by Dr Parsons
Mr Cay and Mr Kenrick by Dr Hadley
Mr Freeman by Mr Blake
Mr Jones by Dr Waray
Mr Ferguson by Mr Short
Mr Tennyson by P Davall
Mr Robert Burrow by Mr Burrow
Mr Franklin by Dr Franklin
Mr Stephen Fuller and Mr Empson by Mr Dothby
Mr Dunn, Dr Wolfe, and Dr Stephens by Dr Morton
Minutes of last meeting read.
Books presented to the Royal Society;
1. 'Rogerii Boschovitz R.S.S. Philosophiaae naturalis Theoria', printed at Vienna in 1759, from the author
2. 'Conclusions of the Parliamentary History, and the general iondex' printed in London 1761 by Mr Drake FRS
The following books translated grom German into French by BAron Holbach, and printed at Paris;
3. La Pyritologie de J F Henkel
4. 'L'Introduction a la Mineralogie' by the same author, in two volumes
5. 'La Chemie metallurgique de Gellert' two volumes
6. 'Les Oeuvres Physiques de Lehman' three volumes
7. 'Les Oeuvres Metallurgiques d'Orshall'
8. 'La MIneralogie de Wallerius' two volumes
Mr John Dollond and Robert Adams Esq lately elected, having paid their admission Fees, and also the further sums of twenty guineas each in lieu of contributions, were admitted Fellows
Dom. Martin Panzano FSA London etc. a gentleman formerly proposed according to the Statute, was elected a Fellow.
Letter from Nathaniel Bliss, dated 11 June 1761 addressed to the President was read on behalf of His Majesty's Astronomer. Bliss attended the Royal Observatory at Dr Bradley's request to observe the late Transit of Venus, and gives his report. Used a reflecting telescope of 2 feet focal length, furnished with Mr Dollond's Micrometer; and a refracting telescope of 15 feet focal length 'with an exquisite Micrometer of the old form by Mr Graham', each of which magnified about 55 times. Weather unfavourable until 7.30, when 'the assistant Mr Green with the Reflector etc prepared to observe the distance of Venus from each limb of the Sun, on the chords parallel to the Equator; and Professor Bliss with the Refractor etc observed differences of right ascension and Declination from the consequent and southernmost limb of teh Sun. At length the Professor, and Mr Green, and also Mr Bird of the Strand, with a Reflector of his won construction, of 18 inches focal length, magnifying as the rest about 55 times, observed the internal contact at 20.19 all three agreing to the same record. The final Egress by trhe Professor and Mr Green, was one second later than by Mr Bird, at 20.37.9 At 20.26.56, by a mean of 5 observations, the center of Venus was north of the Sun's south limb in declination, by the Profesor 00.3.20. The diameter of Venus by Mr Green was of 00.00.57 ; but by a mean of three good observations made by Mr Canton in Spital Square, 00.00.58. The letter also gives an account of teh obserfations made at the President's Observatory at Sherborne Castle, which in 00.10.43 Latitude north of teh Royal Observatory, and 00.04.01 longitude west. His Lordship's Observers, Mr Phelps and Mr Bartlet, were assisted by the Rev Mr Hornsby Fellow of Corpus Christi College at Oxfoird. The morning was more favourable to these Observers, the clouds beginning to disperse at half an hour past five. Mr Hornsby on the north side of the Observatory had a 12 feet Telescope, magnifying 70 times, with a micrometer made by Mr Bird of the old form; and Mr Phelps on the South side had a Telescope of 14 feet. The internal contact by Mr Hornsby was at 20.15.10, and by Mr Phelps one second sooner. Final contact by Mr Hornsby at 20.33.17 but, as he supposes, a few seconds too soon. Diameter of Venus 56, diametr of the Sun by Mr Hornsby 00.31.32 , center fo Venus north of the Sun's south limb in declination, 00.03.36 at 20.12.00. '
pp 121 - 123
Read a paper signed James Short entitled ' An account of the Transit of Venus over the Sun, on Saturday morning, 6 June 1761, at Saville House, being 00.00.7 of time west of St Paul's London. People presesnt were their Royal Highnesses the Duke of York, Prince William, Prince Henry, Prince Frederick, the Lady Augusta, George Lewis Scott Esq., Mr Charles, Dr Blair, Dr Bevis, and Mr Short. Instruments used were ' an astronomical clock by Mr Shelton, the same with that of the Royal Observatory,; a reflecting telescope of 18 inches focus, and a field greater than the Sun's diameter; another reflecting telescope of two feet focus, being the same with those directed by the Society for the Royal Observatory, and for the other observations at St Helena and the East Indies, excepting that these had only common object glass Micrometers; whereas Mr Short's had the achromic object glass. ' Gives an account of the observation and the results achieved. pp 123 - 126
Read a paper by Mr Samuael Dunn of Chelsea containing an account of his observations of the last external contact of Venus, or her final egress from the Sun. Taken with a six foot Newtonian Reflector lately made by Mr Dollond, and the time ascertained by a good pendulum clock, corrected by a single altitude of the Sun. p 126
Article from the Northampton Mercury of 8 June 1761 communicated by Mr Hanbury FRS which mentions an observation of the Transit of Venus, taken at Maidwell, Northants 76 miles north of London with a Reflector of 16 1/4 inches legth: total Emersion 20.26 nearly: duration of the passage over the Sun's disk about 18. pp 126-127
Read a Memoir concerning the discovery of the Satellite of Venus, as a result of his preparations for observing the Transit of Venus, by Mr Baudouin, Counsellor at the Great Great Council, printed in Paris 1761, and read at the Royal Academy of Sciences there on 20 May last. Received from Professor Ferner in Paris. [Contents summarised] pp127-128
' Mr James Ferguson of Red Lyon Court Fleet Street communicated to the Society a Delineation of the Transit of Venus, June 6, 1761, according to the observations made at Saville Hoiuse London, 30 degrees in time West from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.
According to the observations, from which this Porjection is delineated, the equal time of Venus's conjunction with the Sun is at 17h.41.8 the geocentric latitude of Venus is 9.33 South supposing the Sun's parallax to be 10 1/2) and the place of her ascending node is II 14.32.5 And the said Projection differs from Dr Halley's Tables, 5.9 as to the time of conjunction; 10 degrees as to the latitude of Venus; and 2.28, as to the place of her nodes. ' pp 128 - 129 |