The planet Mars

    Date
    1863
    Creator
    James Nasmyth (1808 - 1890, British) , Mechanical engineer
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (painting): 116mm
    width (painting): 125mm
    Subject
    Content object
    space
       > Solar system
          > planet
             > Mars
    Description
    The appearance of the planet Mars in opposition viewed by telescope in mid-September 1862. The astronomical image shows the bright circular Martian South Polar region.

    Illustration contained in a letter by James Nasmyth, Penshurst, Kent, 20 January 1863, to John Phillips in Oxford. The letter has been preserved as an unpublished supplement to the manuscript version of the paper “On the telescopic appearance of the Planet Mars” by John Phillips. This was abstracted in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, vol. 12 (1862-1863), pp.431-437.

    Nasmyth’s textual description states that: “the snow patch on the south pole of the planet was remarkably distinct so much so as to give me the impression of it having a cliff boundary the termination was so sudden...the south snow patch did not appear to me to agree with the south pole of the planet but on the contrary to be considerably eccentric to it...”

    James Nasmyth (1808-1890) mechanical engineer was not a Fellow of the Royal Society.

    John Phillips (1800-1874) British geologist was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1834.
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
    Credit
    © The Royal Society
    Image number
    RS.10783
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