Vignettes from the life of George Biddell Airy (1801-1892) - Astronomer Royal (Royal Observatory, Greenwich), Scientific Civil Servant, Bear of Blackheath
Joined April 2020
- Tweets181
- Following39
- Followers55
- Likes47
In 1855 Cambridge University came close to establishing a second observatory devoted to photographic magnetic observations. Airy's disapproval of the project was one of the reasons why it did not materialise.
Airy's letter to William Whewell about the project details the requirements for establishing a magnetic observatory at the time: a good building, a good set of instruments, good staff including "a good chemist", and great geographical distance from other magnetic observatories.
Despite Airy's disapproval of the project, he saw two possible benefits of such an observatory: 1) George Gabriel Stokes could turn his full attention to research on "terrestrial magnetism" (@paulranford) or 2) it could become another "means of academical instruction".
Great post by @royalsociety on the letters exchanged between Augustus De Morgan and John Herschel. Featuring a surprise sketch of George Airy standing on his head while observing with a transit instrument. royalsociety.org/blog/2021/0…
What were Airy's 'carnal wants' that required William Whewell's assistance? (Trinity College, Cambridge, Add-Ms.200 46 1842 Nov 11)
George Airy retweeted
Being Astronomer Royal isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes, it's just stinky.
George Airy's sheep problem, 1878.
ALT 1878 May 4, Dear Sir, May I venture to ask whether it would be possible to change the place of the sheep now in Greenwich Park? The stench which they produce is very offensive, worse than I have ever known before. It is perceived all through the Park, but is perhaps worst near the observatory, where the sheep seem to collect at night in the Great Avenue and close to the observatory. George Airy.
News of an exciting research project 'Astronomy's Glass Archive: Photographic Practices at the Observatory, 1850-1950' launching its stylish website: omarnasim.com/dfg-project Great team, including Omar Nasim, Kelley Wilder, @ChaokangTai, Dr Buket Altinoba, and Katharina Bick!
Since it's an exciting day for Mars, here's a depiction of the planet as seen by Airy through the Sheepshanks Equatorial (collections.rmg.co.uk/collec…) at Greenwich @ROGAstronomers on 22 August 1845. (image from the logbook of the telescope held @theULSpecColl)
In 1848 William Whewell's translation of Friedrich Schiller's ballad 'Der Graf von Habsburg' (The Count of Habsburg) appeared in Fraser's magazine. He noted that it was lately set to music by Andreas Homberg and wanted a translation that suited the music. babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?…
One wonders whether it was performed during any of the musical gatherings organised by Augustus De Morgan. google.co.uk/books/edition/M…
Unfortunately, it seems like Homberg's arrangement didn't survive. However, you can listen to Franz Schubert's musical arrangement of the ballad to get a sense of the "spirit" of the song youtube.com/watch?v=Gjt-ZBiV…
A new blog post about the lives of the assistants working under Airy
📢Our latest blog post is up📢 Are you a fan of Greenwich's #localhistory? Do you love astronomy and the Royal Observatory? You'll absolutely love Dr Dániel Bélteki's @dbelteki blog post 'Music and Murder under the Midnight Sky': balh.org.uk/blog-music-and-m…
Dipping into the George Airy - De Morgan letters @theUL @theULSpecColl always reveals something lighthearted. Here's De Morgan's take on the 1860 Solar Eclipse expedition to Spain (organised by Airy) as a nursery rhyme (with a cartoon/"diagram").
Three wonderful small drawings by Augustus De Morgan preserved among the Airy Papers at @theULSpecColl @theUL
The Solar Eclipse of 1836 was observed successfully at Greenwich even though Airy was away from the Observatory at the time. In his absence, Robert Main (First Assistant) sent daily reports on the preparations for the observations. Airy labelled this 'epistolary superintendence'.
Although Main did witness the 'attack', John Henry Belville (another assistant) described that he was only able to close the Observatory gates with the help of the gate porter and the gardener.
