| Authorised form of name | Challis; James (1803 - 1882); astronomer |
| Dates | 1803 - 1882 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Braintree, Essex, England |
| Date of birth | 12 December 1803 |
| Place of death | Cambridge |
| Date of death | 03 December 1882 |
| Dates and places | Burial:
Mill Road cemetery, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Clergyman, Church of England |
| Research field | Astronomy |
| Activity | Education:
Trinity College, Cambridge. BA (1825, Senior Wrangler and Smith's Prizeman); MA
Career:
Fellow, Trinity College, Cambridge (1826-1831); ordained (1830); vicar of Papworth Everard (1830-1852); Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy, University of Cambridge (1836-1852); Director, Cambridge University Observatory (1836-1861); observed Neptune before its official discovery in Berlin (1846); published works on astronomy, religion and education
Memberships:
FRAS
|
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 09/06/1848 |
| Royal Society activity | Royal Society roles:
VP 1851-1852 |
| Relationships | Fourth son of John Challis; married (1831) daughter of Samuel Chandler of Tyringham, Buckinghamshire and widow of Daniel Copsey of Braintree |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB
References:
David W Hughes, 'J C Adams, Cambridge and Neptune', review of H M Harrison, Voyager in Time and Space: The Life of John Couch Adams, Cambridge Astronomer in NR 1996 vol 50 pp 245-248 |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/20432981 |
| Royal Society code | NA7554 |
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| EC/1848/04 | Challis, James: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |
| MM/14/79 | Note from JC Adams supporting James Challis's application for a Royal Society grant to enable Mr Edward Walker to publish his Adams Prize essay | 28 September 1865 |
| MM/16/51 | Letter from James Challis, Cambridge, to C Taylor | 6 May 1879 |
| MM/14/78 | Application from James Challis for a Royal Society grant to enable Edward Walker to publish his Cambridge University Adams Prize essay | 23 September 1865 |
| IM/Maull/000785 | Challis, James | nd |
| RR/4/67 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'On the total solar eclipse of July 18th, 1860, observed at Rivabellosa, near Miranda de Ebro, in Spain' by Warren De La Rue | [1862] |
| RR/3/68 | Note by anonymous, on a paper 'On the problem of the three bodies' by James Challis | 1856 |
| RR/4/168 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'Appendix to the account of the earthquake-wave experiments made at Holyhead' by Robert Mallet | 25 June 1862 |
| RR/7/488 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'On the variations of the daily range of atmospheric temperature as recorded at the Kew Observatory' by Balfour Stewart | 4 December 1876 |
| RR/3/4 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'Account of pendulum experiments undertaken in the Harton Colliery, for the purpose of determining the mean density of the earth' by George Biddell Airy | 18 February 1856 |
| RR/6/199 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'On the lunar-diurnal variation of the magnetic declination, with special regard to the moon's declination' in animal bodies' by G Neumayer | 15 May 1867 |
| MS/426/107 | Copy letter from [Charles Richard Weld] the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society; to Mons. [Adolph Stephanus] Rueb, University, Utrecht [The Netherlands] | 13 November 1844 |
| RR/6/71 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'On the solar variations of magnetic declination at Bombay' by Charles Chambers | 18 February 1869 |
| RR/3/5 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'Account of pendulum experiments undertaken in the Harton Colliery, for the purpose of determining the mean density of the earth' by George Biddell Airy | 26 February 1856 |
| RR/3/152 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'On the deflection of the plumb-line at Arthur's seat, and the mean specific gravity of the earth' by Colonel H James | 7 April 1856 |
| PT/50/2/4 | Plate, method of calculation of attraction of earth's superficial crust by John Henry Pratt | 12 July 1854 |
| PT/50/2/1 | Manuscript, 'On the attraction of the Himmalaya [Himalaya] Mountains, and of the elevated regions beyond them, upon the plumb-line of India' by John Henry Pratt | 12 July 1854 |
| PT/53/7 | Paper, 'On the problem of three bodies' by Rev J [James] Challis | 10 May 1856 |
| RR/3/67 | Letter from James Challis, on his paper 'On the problem of three bodies' to unknown referee | July 7 1856 |
| PT/50/2/6 | Plate, attraction over stations in Kaliana, Kalianpur, and Damargida by John Henry Pratt | 12 July 1854 |
| PT/50/2/5 | Plate, deflection on arc intervening between Kaliana and Damargida by John Henry Pratt | 12 July 1854 |
| PT/50/2/2 | Plate, diagram of error on plumb-line by John Henry Pratt | 12 July 1854 |
| PT/50/2/3 | Plate, method of calculation of mountain attraction by John Henry Pratt | 12 July 1854 |
| PT/52/3/3 | Plate, chart illustrating local attraction by John Henry Pratt | 23 September 1854 |
| PT/52/3/2 | Plate, diagram of local attraction over China and Central Asia by John Henry Pratt | 23 September 1854 |
| RR/3/153 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'On the figure, dimensions, and mean specific gravity of the earth, as derived from the Ordnance trigonometrical survey of Great Britain and Ireland' by Colonel H James | 24 June 1856 |
| MC/3 | Volume 3 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1839-1843 |
| MC/3/223 | Letter from [James] Challis, Plumian Professor, Greenwich Observatory, to Samuel Hunter Christie, Secretary of the Royal Society | 6 June 1842 |
| MS/257/1/318 | Letter from James Challis, Cambridge to Edward Sabine | 11 August 1864 |
| MC/4/117 | Letter from Reverend [James] Challis, Cambridge Observatory, to Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Sabine, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society | 26 December 1845 |
| MC/4/114 | Letter from Reverend [James] Challis, Cambridge Observatory, to Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Sabine, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society | 19 December 1845 |
| MC/4 | Volume 4 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1844-1850 |
| MC/7/93 | Letter from J [James] Challis, Plumian Professor of astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, to General [Edward] Sabine, [President of the Royal Society] | 11 June 1864 |
| MC/7 | Volume 7 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1864-1866 |
| PT/52/3 | Paper, 'On the effect of local attraction upon the plumb-line at stations on the English arc of the meridian between Dunnose and Burleigh Moor; and a method of computing its amount' by Archdeacon [John Henry] Pratt | 23 September 1854 |
| PT/52/3/1 | Manuscript, 'On the effect of local attraction upon the plumb-line at stations on the English arc of the meridian between Dunnose and Burleigh Moor; and a method of computing its amount' by Archdeacon [John Henry] Pratt | 23 September 1854 |
| MS/257/1/317 | Letter from James Challis, Cambridge to Edward Sabine | 22 May 1860 |
| MS/257/1/320 | Letter from James Challis, Cambridge to Edward Sabine | 20 September 1869 |
| MS/257/1/319 | Letter from James Challis, Cambridge to Edward Sabine | 20 September 1866 |
| RR/2/137 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'On the mean temperature of the observatory at Highfield House, near Nottingham, from the year 1810 to 1850' by Edward Joseph Lowe | 27 October 1851 |
| PT/50/2 | Paper, 'On the attraction of the Himmalaya [Himalaya] Mountains, and of the elevated regions beyond them, upon the plumb-line of India' by John Henry Pratt | 12 July 1854 |
| RR/3/252 | Referee's report by James Challis, on a paper 'Astronomical experiment on the peak of Teneriffe, carried out under the sanction of the lords commissioners of the admiralty' by Charles Piazzi Smyth | 20 October 1857 |
| RR/4/166 | Referee's report by James Challis on a paper 'Account of experiments made at Holyhead (North Wales) to ascertain the transit-velocity of waves, analogous to earthquake waves, through the local rock formations' by Robert Mallet | 27 July 1861 |