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

Autographed draft letter written on the back of various notes, letters and order forms. John Tyndall's paper on polarization of sky light suggests that neutral points are functions of cloud density. This verifies John Frederick William Herschel's earlier explanation of blue sky color. Incomplete polarization. Cause of blue color in water. Corrects note on W. A. Miller's observations of rainbows.

Reference number
HS/19/160
Earliest possible date
13 December 1868
Page extent
4 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

John Frederick William Herschel

View page for John Frederick William Herschel

Use this record

Citation

John Frederick William Herschel, Draft letter, from Sir John Herschel to John Tyndall, 13 December 1868, HS/19/160, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/hs_19_160/draft-letter-from-sir-john-herschel-to-john-tyndall, accessed on 11 August 2026

Link to this record

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/hs_19_160/draft-letter-from-sir-john-herschel-to-john-tyndall" title="Draft letter, from Sir John Herschel to John Tyndall" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Explore the collection

  • Herschel Letters

    This collection of nearly 10,900 letters, drafts, copies and notes is the largest repository of scientific correspondence from and to Sir John Herschel, leading figure of Victorian science.

    Dates: 1807 - 1875

    View collection