CHAPTER X.. Observational Astronomy in the Eighteenth

OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, §§ 196-227 247-286

§ 196. Gravitational astronomy: its development due almost entirely to Continental astronomers: use of analysis: English observational astronomy 247

§§ 197-8. Flamsteed: foundation of the Greenwich Observatory: his star catalogue 249

§ 199. =Halley=: catalogue of Southern stars 253

§ 200. Halley’s comet 253

§ 201. Secular acceleration of the moon’s mean motion 254

§ 202. Transits of Venus 254

§ 203. Proper motions of the fixed stars 255

§§ 204-5. Lunar and planetary tables: career at Greenwich: minor work 255

§ 206. =Bradley=: career 257

§§ 207-11. Discovery and explanation of aberration: the constant of aberration 258

§ 212. Failure to detect parallax 265

§§ 213-5. Discovery of nutation: Machin 265

§§ 216-7. Tables of Jupiter’s satellites by Bradley and by Wargentin: determination of longitudes, and other work 269

§ 218. His observations: reduction 271

§ 219. The density of the earth: Maskelyne: the Cavendish experiment 273

§ 220. The Cassini-Maraldi school in France 275

§ 221. Measurements of the earth: the Lapland and Peruvian arcs: Maupertuis 275

§§ 222-4. Lacaille: his career: expedition to the Cape: star catalogues, and other work 279

§§ 225-6. Tobias Mayer: his observations: lunar tables: the longitude prize 282

§ 227. The transits of Venus in 1761 and 1769: distance of the sun 284