Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

Description

Macdonald analyses observations of diurnal magnetic variation taken in Calcutta [Kolkata, West Bengal, India] from February 1827 to February 1828 and includes this set of observations within his text. This text forms part of Macdonald's quest to find an 'unexceptionable' theory of magnetic variation. Includes one figure in the text.

Subject: Geodesy

Written by Macdonald in Summerlands, Exeter [Devon, England]. Received by the Royal Society on 3 June 1830.

Reference number
AP/14/13
Earliest possible date
29 May 1830
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
13 pages
Format
Manuscript

Use this record

Citation

Unpublished paper, on magnetic variation by John Macdonald, 29 May 1830, AP/14/13, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_14_13/unpublished-paper-on-magnetic-variation-by-john-macdonald, accessed on 13 September 2026

Link to this record

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/ap_14_13/unpublished-paper-on-magnetic-variation-by-john-macdonald" title="Unpublished paper, on magnetic variation by John Macdonald" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Explore the collection

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is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.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

    View collection