Item 68 - Letter from George Airy

4 pp.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA has been at home for three weeks reducing accumulated business, and helping to arrange an expedition for the observation of the eclipse: 'Never was any ambitious man more unfortunate. The circumstances were these. It was just doubtful whether the eclipse would or would not be annular at Greenwich. So I selected four stations to the north and three to the south, and determined by observations of these to find precisely where the eclipse was just circular. I had a micrometer 20 miles long to measure 12"... But all in vain. Only at one was the sun seen 5 minutes and at a useless time'. GA was delighted with the Pulkowa Observatory in Russia: 'It certainly is the best in the world, not simply in building and furniture but also in methods of observing. The former, however, are parts of the latter: for every instrument and every part of the building have been planned to the utmost details with reference to a prearranged plan of observation. A single observation at Pulkowa is undoubtedly better than a single observation anywhere else. The observatory is best known for its equatorial instruments, and these in my opinion are its weakest part'.