The Astronomical Register, Vol 5 Classic Reprint

Excerpt from The Astronomical Register, Vol. 5

The President said: We are in a dilemma this evening - not from the paucity of papers, but from their abundance, especially on the subject of the Luminous Meteors. There is, however, one paper, being Sir John Herschel's introduction to his father's double-star measures, which claims our first attention; after which I propose to take a paper, by the Astronomer Royal, on the November star shower.

Mr. Hodgson stated that Sir John Herschel's contribution con sisted of the extensive series of double star observations made by Sir William Herschel, and all in his handwriting or that of his sister, which had been reduced entirely by Sir John Herschel, and which he (mr. H.) thought the most interesting paper of this or perhaps any other century. In introducing the measures, Sir John stated that he found great objections existed to printing them as left by his father, inasmuch as each measure was accompanied by a diagram, to illustrate the positions, which were entered in quadrants instead of parts of a circle; and also that the measures being made with different micrometers, he thought great confusion would result, and he had therefore reduced them to the corresponding positions and measures now m use.

The President explained the part he had taken in procuring this important work, and expressed the esteem and respect he felt towards Sir John Herschel in language which he requested might not be reported.

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