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

Lockyer writes: 'Some years ago I commenced a research on the spectra of carbon in connexion with certain lines I had detected in my early photographs of the solar spectrum. I have been going on with this work at intervals ever since, and certain conclusions to which it leads, emphasising the vast difference between the chemical constitution of the sun and of some stars, recently suggested the desirability of obtaining observations of the spectra of meteorites and of the metallic elements at as low a temperature as possible. I have latterly, therefore, been engaged on the last-named inquiries. The work already done, read in conjunction with that on carbon, seems to afford evidence which amounts to demonstration on several important points.'

Annotations in pencil and ink. Includes six printed plates of spectra.

Subject: Astronomy

Received 4 October 1887. Read 17 November 1887.

A version of this paper was published in volume 43 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'Researches on the spectra of meteorites. A report to the Solar Physics Committee. Communicated to the Royal Society at the request of the committee'.

Reference number
PP/11/5
Earliest possible date
1887
Physical description
Ink and coloured pencil on paper
Page extent
33 pages
Format
Manuscript
Printed
Print

Creator name

Joseph Norman Lockyer

View page for Joseph Norman Lockyer

Use this record

Citation

Joseph Norman Lockyer, Paper, 'Preliminary note on the spectra of meteorites' by Joseph Norman Lockyer, 1887, PP/11/5, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/pp_11_5/paper-preliminary-note-on-the-spectra-of-meteorites-by-joseph-norman-lockyer, accessed on 17 March 2025

Link to this record

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/pp_11_5/paper-preliminary-note-on-the-spectra-of-meteorites-by-joseph-norman-lockyer" title="Paper, 'Preliminary note on the spectra of meteorites' by Joseph Norman Lockyer" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Explore the collection

  • Proceedings Papers

    The archival collection known as 'Proceedings Papers' is comprised of manuscripts and occasional proofs of scientific papers sent to the Royal Society which were read before meetings of Fellows and printed in full in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.

    Dates: 1882 - 1894

    View collection