Letter from John Frederick William Herschel, Collingwood to [Thomas Romney] Robinson

Description

Herschel thanks Robinson for his ‘notice of the first performances of the [great] Melbourne telescope’. Discusses the results and observations from the ‘powerful’ instrument, and notes there can be no doubt that the ‘nebula is unconnected with the stars’ and it is ‘almost certain that it is interposed between us and them as a cast cosmical cloud’. Refers to the telescope giving a ‘new conception of the nature and part played in creation by the nebulae in general’. Refers to a lithograph or photozincograph should be sent ‘home’ by Mr [Robert Lewi John] Ellery and [Adolphus Albert] Le Sueur. Herschel looks forward to [Ellery and Le Sueur’s] report regarding ‘the present state of magellanic clouds’ and ‘looped nebula 30 doradus’. Herschel refers not being able to attend any meetings due to health reasons.

Reference number

MS/257/2/294

Earliest possible date

21 August 1869

Physical description

Ink on paper

Page extent

4 pages