Credit: © The Royal Society
Image number: RS.10152
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Halley’s Comet, 14 February 1836
Date
1838
Creator
James Basire III (1796 - 1869, British) , Engraver
After
Thomas Maclear (1794 - 1879, British Irish) , Astronomer
Charles Piazzi Smyth (1819 - 1900, British) , Astronomer
Charles Piazzi Smyth (1819 - 1900, British) , Astronomer
Object type
Library reference
Tracts/X21/10
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 270mm
width (print): 400mm
width (print): 400mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Halley’s Comet on 14 February 1836 viewed from the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa using a reflecting telescope of 13 ½ inch mirror made by William Herschel. Thomas Maclear’s accompanying description states that: “My young friend and assistant, Mr. C. Piazzi Smyth, has made a few drawings from the sketches I made occasionally, on a comparative scale, derived from the actual measurements. These drawings (contained in four plates) accompany the present paper, and will illustrate the progress of the changes far better than I can describe them.”
Figure from plate 3 of the paper “Observations of Halley’s Comet, made at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, in the years 1835 and 1836.” By Thomas Maclear (Admiralty, London, 1838). Originally published in Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 10. Inscribed: top right “Mem. of Roy.Ast.Soc.Vol.X.Plate III”; and lower right “J.Basire, sc.”
Sir Thomas Maclear (1794-1879) was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1831.
Charles Piazzi Smyth (1819-1900) was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1857.
Figure from plate 3 of the paper “Observations of Halley’s Comet, made at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, in the years 1835 and 1836.” By Thomas Maclear (Admiralty, London, 1838). Originally published in Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 10. Inscribed: top right “Mem. of Roy.Ast.Soc.Vol.X.Plate III”; and lower right “J.Basire, sc.”
Sir Thomas Maclear (1794-1879) was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1831.
Charles Piazzi Smyth (1819-1900) was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1857.
Associated place