Correspondence map
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William Huggins
John Frederick William Herschel
Sir John Herschel publishes his translation of Homer’s Iliad
1866

Autographed letter . Giving observations of a new star observed by him and some of his correspondents.
18 May 1866 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/40
Autograph letter signed by sender. Much obliged for his observations of June 1842. Probably the same star that is now being observed. Gives observations sent him by G. B. Airy.
21 May 1866 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/41
Copy of a letter. Comments on new star reported by William Huggins [see William Huggins's 1866-5-18]; includes diagram of that portion of the sky.
19 May 1866 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/156
1867
Sir John Herschel publishes Familiar Lectures on Scientific Subjects
1867
1868
Benjamin Disraeli becomes Prime Minister
1 February 1868
William Gladstone becomes Prime Minister
1 December 1868

Autograph letter signed by sender. Has just found that the bands of light from the comet are resolved by the spectroscope into bands that constitute a modified form of carbon. The spectrum of the comet was compared directly with a current of olefiant gas.
2 July 1868 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/42
Autograph letter signed by sender. Is grateful for his note. Has sent a paper to the Royal Society [of London] on cometary phenomena and encloses a copy of the part in which he refers to John Frederick William Herschel's views. Would be glad if it were possible to explain the phenomena of tails.
27 July 1868 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/43
Copy of a letter. Has been occupied with the wedding of his daughter [Amelia], so unable to read his paper before. Comments on the various theories regarding the tail of the comet. Regrets his statements do not agree with those of William Huggins.
31 July 1868 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/10/44
Autograph letter signed by sender. Much obliged for his suggestions regarding the comet; comments on these suggestions. His own observations were made on the comet, not its tail. Would be pleased for him to visit his observatory when in London.
1 August 1868 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/45
Autograph letter signed by sender. Sending a photograph of a solar prominence he has received from Major J. F. Tennant. Comments on various features. At the Transit of Mercury he saw the phenomenon described by J. H. Schröter.
20 November 1868 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/46
Autograph letter signed by sender. Has arranged for the last Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices to be sent to him. Lieut. John Herschel has detected a fourth line in the spectrum of the Nebula in Orion.
15 December 1868 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/47
Copy of a letter. Comments on William Huggins's spectroscopic examination of cometary tails [see William Huggins's 1868-7-2].
6 July 1868 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/219
Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Has been occupied with the wedding of his daughter [Amelia], so unable to read his paper before. Comments on the various theories regarding the tail of the comet. Regrets his statements do not agree with those of William Huggins.
31 July 1868 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/221
Copy of a letter. Comments on William Huggins's finding the carbon line in William Huggins's spectroscopic examinations of cometary tails.
5 August 1868 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/223
Copy of a letter. A note to accompany John Frederick William Herschel's biographical sketch of William Dawes.
14 October 1868 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/233
Copy of a letter. Thanks to William Huggins for the photograph of solar protruberances; comments on polarization of light from the sun.
22 November 1868 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/239
1869
Jules Verne serializes Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea
1869: (Vingt Mille Lieues sous les Mers)

Autograph letter signed by sender. Sends a proof of John Frederick William Herschel's obituary of W. R. Dawes. The concluding part of the manuscript was mislaid; would he therefore re-write the missing portion. Hopes to attend Professor Alexander Herschel's lecture this evening.
22 January 1869 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/48
Autograph letter signed by sender. Professor Joseph Winlock of Harvard agrees with all William Huggins's observations of Nebula of Orion. The observations at Bishop's Observatory between 1844 and 1851 appear to be the work of W. R. Dawes. Comments on the reasons William Hugginsy the bright lines are so easily seen.
25 January 1869 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/49
Autograph letter signed by sender. Has written to Lieut. John Herschel suggesting points on which solar observations might be valuable. Is pleased he has seen the bright lines. Saw some bright lines in the middle of the sun's disk.
31 May 1869 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/50
Autograph letter signed by sender. Would like his advice on how to publicize Lieut. John Herschel's letter; shall he send it to G. G. Stokes? Comments on the method for viewing the forms of prominences.
7 June 1869 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/51
Copy of a letter. Thinks it would be best to send his son's letter to G. G. Stokes at the Royal Society [of London] Cannot give a positive opinion on William Huggins's plan for seeing the prominences. Finds some discrepancies in the Report of William Huggins's paper on Sirius and the paper itself.
9 June 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/10/52
Autograph letter signed by sender. Has sent Lieut. John Herschel's letter to G. G. Stokes. Gives reasons for the discrepancies in the report of his paper and the paper itself. Is wondering whether to set up his large telescope further from London.
11 June 1869 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/53
Copy of a letter. Suggests the planet Mercury may be a good subject for his spectroscopic experiments. Gives comments and explanations on his proposals. May like to communicate the results to the Royal Astronomical Society
20 September 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/10/54
Autograph letter signed by sender. Unable to make any observations at the moment as his observatory is being enlarged to receive his new large telescope. Thinks it would be a good idea to carry out observations on Mercury. Is not sorry to be able to rest his eyes from his trying spectrum experiments.
22 September 1869 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/55
Draft letter. Burn his [last] letter as he made a blunder in his geometry. Cannot imagine how he made the blunder. Gives new formulae for observing Mercury.
22 September 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/10/56
Autograph letter signed by sender. Is much obliged for the more correct determination of Mercury. As soon as he gets his new apparatus he will try to obtain observations of the planet.
27 September 1869 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/57Copy of a letter. Note with return of proof of John Frederick William Herschel's biographical sketch [see William Huggins's 1869-1-22] of William Dawes.
23 January 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/246
Copy of a letter. Comments on some incorrect attributions to John Frederick William Herschel.
14 February 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/250
Copy of a letter. Comments on the radiant heat of heavenly bodies and the motion of Sirius.
27 March 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/254
Copy of a letter. About an increase in sun spot activity.
28 May 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/262
Copy of a letter. Note to accompany the reported observations of John Frederick William Herschel's son John.
3 June 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/267
Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Thinks it would be best to send his son's letter to G. G. Stokes at the Royal Society [of London] Cannot give a positive opinion on William Huggins's plan for seeing the prominences. Finds some discrepancies in the Report of William Huggins's paper on Sirius and the paper itself.
9 June 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/268
Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Suggests the planet Mercury may be a good subject for his spectroscopic experiments. Gives comments and explanations on his proposals. May like to communicate the results to the Royal Astronomical Society
20 September 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/280
Copy of a letter. Note to correct calculations in an earlier letter [see John Frederick William Herschel's 1869-9-20].
21 September 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/281
Copy of draft letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Burn his [last] letter as he made a blunder in his geometry. Cannot imagine how he made the blunder. Gives new formulae for observing Mercury.
22 September 1869 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/282
1870

Autograph letter signed by sender. The Council of the Royal Astronomical Society would like John Frederick William Herschel's opinion on the accompanying paper and drawing by Francis Abbott, and whether it should appear in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
16 May 1870 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/58
Draft letter. Giving his opinion on a paper and drawing of [Francis] Abbott.
18 May 1870 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/10/59
Contemporary copy of the letter. Further report on a paper and drawing of [Francis] Abbot [very similar to William Huggins's 1870-5-18].
19 May 1870 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/10/60
Autograph letter signed by sender. Has had a letter from Cleveland Abbe inquiring when John Frederick William Herschel's Catalogue of Double Stars can be expected. Howard and Thomas Grubb have just erected his telescope but the eye end is not finished. Instrument will be very 'handy.'
28 September 1870 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/61
Autograph letter signed by sender. Has sent John Frederick William Herschel's letter to Cleveland Abbe with a request to send John Frederick William Herschel the information. Has not seen the sun through his new telescope yet.
5 October 1870 Sender: William Huggins Reference number: HS/10/62
Copy of a letter. Requests that William Huggins sign the certificate for the election of John Frederick William Herschel's son John as a Fellow of the Royal Society [of London]
18 August 1870 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/326
Copy of a letter. Apologizes for forgetting that since William Huggins is on the Council of the Royal Society [of London] he is precluded from signing [see John Frederick William Herschel's 1870-8-18].
21 August 1870 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/327
Copy of a letter. John Frederick William Herschel is preparing a digest of all double star observations; also comments on sunspot activity.
30 September 1870 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/24/331
1871
Death of Sir John Herschel, at Collingwood, Kent
11 May 1871
Sir John Herschel is buried at Westminster Abbey
19 May 1871
