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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished paper, 'Observations on astronomy' by W Turner

Reference number: AP/11/2

Date: 01 January 1822

Description

Turner questions how it is possible that humans cannot perceive the earth orbiting the sun at 68092 miles per hour, and also questions how there is no perceptible variation in the distance of the North Polar Star from the earth given this movement. Includes one page of figures.

A manuscript note at bottom of title page reads 'Printed and executed by Mr Charles, No 1 Wellington Street, Strand 1822'. This title page is printed, but the subsequent pages are manuscript. It is unclear whether this inscription refers exclusively to the title page, or whether there was a small printing run of this paper as a pamphlet.

Subject: Astronomy

Reference number
AP/11/2
Earliest possible date
01 January 1822
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
7 pages
Format
Manuscript

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Citation

Unpublished paper, 'Observations on astronomy' by W Turner, 01 January 1822, AP/11/2, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_11_2/unpublished-paper-observations-on-astronomy-by-w-turner, accessed on 07 November 2025

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_11_2/unpublished-paper-observations-on-astronomy-by-w-turner

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  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

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