Monday December 31, 1894

Prof. Turner here. Talked over with him question of measurement of astrographic plates, also publication of M^r Thackeray's paper on R.A.'s of Polaris in Memoirs R.A.S.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... It's nice to see Turner, the Royal Observatory's Chief Assistant at the start of 1894, put in an appearance on the last day of the year - because, of course, this is the last post for this blog as we say bye-bye to IYA 2009. I hope those of you who have been following it have enjoyed these glimpses into the past of the ROG. It's been interesting and useful for me, at least. My energies are now being diverted into the Cambridge/NMM Longitude Project: look out for a new blog there starting later in the year. And please note, Sobel enthusiasts, Longitude means more than Harrison!

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Happy new year - 1895 and 2010!

Friday November 30, 1894

Col. Wheatley (Bailiff of Parks) called with M^r Jordan (Super^t Greenwich Park) with reference to improvement of west boundary of Obs^y from point of view of Park. He proposed to access[?] portion of garden between existing fence & west wall of Lawn & west side of garden house. I told him that questions of modification of boundary should be considered as a whole & explained to him the modification I should propose round Physical Obs^y and on east side. It was understood that he would raise the question of the alteration of west fence.

Sir H. Thompson dined with me at R.S. anniversary dinner.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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D^r Dyson made an observation of the Sun’s Transit across two plumb lines to determine the Meridian line of the New Altazimuth. The result agreed closely with the line obtained by M^r Nash by Magnetic Observations. The two plumb lines were 37^ft apart. The Centre of the Sun & the second limb crossed the line 5^s too soon: giving an error of 2^s. M^r Nash’s line was compared with Col: Tupman’s & agreed well.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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RH says..... Christie's plans for the Physical Observatory had always required that a small parcel of land from the Royal Park be brought within the Royal Observatory's boundary. His tagging of this issue onto the question of improving the western boundary around Flamsteed House is decidedly sneaky.

30 November, St Andrew's Day, is the anniversary of the Royal Society's foundation in 1660: 2010 (or technically 1 December 2009 to 30 November 2010) will be a celebration of the Society's 350th anniversary.

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Lieutenant Colonel Tupman, mentioned by Dyson, had had a connection with the Royal Observatory in 1874, having organised one of the transit of Venus observing expeditions, but archives from the Observatory in Cambridge show that he continued observing at Hillfoot Observatory in Harrow.

Thursday November 15, 1894

D^r Doberck here computing some old comet obs^ns in library.
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William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... This was the Dr Doberck who had called on 3 October to complain about his colleague in Hong Kong. He was best known as a double-star observer but this work on comets may have helped satisfy his frustrated desire to do research. He was, presumably, working in the 'New Library', designed at the end of George Airy's tenure as Astronomer Royal and completed under Christie. This photograph, taken before the Physical Observatory was completed and before work on the Altazimuth Pavilion started, shows the library on the right-hand side, with Flamsteed House and the dome of the 28-inch telescope in the background and the hut, offices and equipment of the Magnetic and Meteorological department and the top of the Lassell Dome in the foreground.

Wednesday August 8, 1894

M^r Fowler came to practise with Transit C, preparation for work of determining longitudes in the settlement of boundary between Dahomey and

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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RH says..... This entry ends with a blank, which Dyson presumably intended to fill in later when he could remember the name of the other end of this west African boundary. The settlement of borders was presumably as a result of the end of the 1892-94 Second Franco-Dahomean War.