Scope and Contents From the File:

Various rough drafts of the solution of astronomical problems.

Scope and Contents

Computations by Charles Mason of the Moon's tabular longitude and comparison with observed longitude, 13 September 1750 - 2 November 1760, with remarks on how the computations were arrived at.

Scope and Contents Minutes of Board of Longitude meetings regarding, among other matters, discussions on John Harrison's first marine chronometer (H1); the purchase of new instruments for work on the longitude and latitude of the coasts of Britain; improvements to the reflecting telescope; Tobias Mayer's lunar motion tables; the trial of John Harrison's chronometers; errors in the tables of the satellites; Schutz's machine for finding longitude; Chistopher Irwin's marine chair; the use of lunar observations...

Scope and Contents Minutes of Board of Longitude meetings regarding, among other matters, tables devised by José Mendoza de Ríos; correspondence with John Crosley (the astronomer with the expedition to New South Wales); a claim for a reward for Charles Mason's work on lunar tables; a report on the Arnold and Earnshaw chronometers going on the voyage of Captain Matthew Flinders; grants and awards to chronometer-makers; the observations of Nathaniel Bliss when he was Astronomer Royal; models of watch escapements...

Scope and Contents A packet of letters and other items sewn together into one volume and entitled 'The Rev Mr Maskelyne's Letters, relating to the transit of Venus in 1761 and 1769 &c &c'.1. Maskelyne to Charles Mason giving instructions on observing Venus' transit and financial arrangements on board the 'Sea Horse', addressed c/o Captain Smith, 29 November 1760.2. Translations by Maskelyne of two papers by Alexandre Pingré:i. 'Memoires de l'Academic Royales des Sciences', 1761,...

Scope and Contents

Astronomical tables and ephemerides, including notes on Burg's new lunar tables, elements of solar tables of several astronomers (de Lalande, Mayer, de Lacaille, Morris, Mason and Howe) and several memoranda on comparisons of various stars.

Scope and Contents

General correspondence with, among others, the Duke of Norfolk; the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; 'Nature'; the Revd Father D.J.K. O'Connell, S.J., Specola Vaticana, Castel Gandolfo, Rome; the University of British Colombia; and the University of Newcastle, New South Wales. The subjects include Sir Richard Woolley's review of 'The Journal of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon' and of 'Herschel at the Cape: Diaries and Correspondence of Sir John Herschel'.

Scope and Contents From the File:

The letters are primarily from Nevil Maskelyne but include three sent to Andrews by Margaret Maskelyne, following the death of her father.

Scope and Contents

A letter from Charles Mason, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, giving details of errors for the solar tables.

Scope and Contents An exercise book comprised primarily of calculations and equations relating to the Moon. The volume includes:1. A note in Latin on the ellipse.2. Distance of the Earth from Jupiter and the Sun.3. Remarks on Simpson's theory of the Moon.4. Observations of stars, 1689-1715.5. Days on which transits and zenith distances of the Sun and transits of stars proper for settling the Sun's right ascension were observed by Edmond Halley, 1726-1729.6. Right...

Scope and Contents

Lunar computations for Charles Mason's new tables of 1772, covering the period 13 September 1750 to 31 December 1759. For each year there are remarks on the accuracy of the observations and computations.

Scope and Contents

Lunar tables in longitude and latitude according to the Newtonian law of gravity, by Charles Mason, 1778. The volume includes a disapproval of Mason's fee from the Board of Longitude [RGO 4/86: 2]; an example of computing the Moon's longitude and latitude; annual equations of the Moon's anomaly and ascending node; and computed longitude and latitude compared with observed longitude and latitude, with corrections, 13 September 1750 - 2 November 1760 [RGO 4/86: 14r].

Scope and Contents

An undated photocopy of 'Maskelyne Book 2' entitled 'Presents of my Observations, Papers in the Philosophical Transactions, &c', covering 1775-1803. The book includes the names of people to whom Nevil Maskelyne has arranged to give speeches, including Joseph de Lalande, Sir John Pringle, Charles Mason, Dr Lind and Jean Delambre.

Scope and Contents

A microfilm made by the National Archives, Washington, of the 'Journal of Charles Mason during the survey of the Mason and Dixon Line', 15 November 1763 - 11 September 1768.

Scope and Contents Part of the computations of Charles Mason's lunar tables of 1778, including comparisons of the tables of the Moon in longitude and latitude, with observations. The volume includes tables on the annual equation of the anomaly and ascending node of the Moon, details of the Moon's longitude, corrections and reductions. There are computations of the Moon's longitude and latitude as compared to Johann Mayer's tables, 1751-1760; computed longitude of the Moon compared with observed longitude,...

Scope and Contents

The Moon's longitude deduced from Charles Mason's tables of 1776, and compared with observed longitude, 8 January 1750 - 31 December 1759. There are also tables of the Moon and Sun's positions, 13 September 1750 - 2 November 1760, and abstracts of errors of Mason's lunar tables, 1750-1752.

Scope and Contents

The Moon's observed right ascension, declination, longitude and latitude compared with Johann Mayer's tables, 8 January 1772 - 30 December 1776, and with Charles Mason's tables, 1 January 1777 - 30 December 1782.

Scope and Contents

Calculations and arguments for computing the Moon's tabular place, 13 September 1750 - 31 December 1759, with many calculations apparently on lunar equations. There are also tables on the longitude equations of the Moon, 29 September 1759 - 2 November 1760, and the latitude equations of the Moon, 1 January - 2 November 1760, calculated by Charles Mason.

Scope and Contents

Comparison of the Moon's observed place with the tabular place from two sets of tables calculated by Charles Mason, 8 January 1751 - 31 December 1759.

Scope and Contents

Index errors of mural circle observations of stars, 1813; difference of errors in the 1778 tables of Charles Mason on two successive days; and reduction of mural circle observations of stars in the star ledger, 1813.

Scope and Contents

The Moon's observed right ascension, declination, longitude and latitude compared with Charles Mason's first lunar tables, 9 January 1783 - 21 December 1788, and with Mason's second lunar tables, 2 January 1789 - 8 October 1794.

Scope and Contents

The Moon's observed right ascension, declination, longitude and latitude compared with Charles Mason's second lunar tables, 11 October 1794 - 31 December 1800.

Scope and Contents Papers relating to the reduction of James Bradley's observations. These include notes on transit and quadrant observations; notes on observational technique, 1750-1755; observations of Alpha Aquilae and Alpha Orionis, 1751-1758; longitude of the Sun, 1746-1750; right ascension of Alpha Aquilae, 1753-1756; Moon's transits, 1751-1759; north polar distance of stars calculated by Charles Mason from observed zenith distances, 1753-1756; summary of calculations to be made on Bradley's...

Scope and Contents Papers on comets and other subjects.1. 'Observations upon the Comets that appeared in the months of September and October 1757', with reference to unnamed stars and observational technique, including an acknowledgement to Dr Smith's three volumes on optics.2. Observations to ascertain the 1757 comet's right ascension, its position relative to the Earth and other stars, and its declination, with attendant calculations.3. Table of observations of the 1759...

Scope and Contents Papers regarding T.G. Taylor.Papers regarding C. Mason, 1851.Letters concerning the lack of the Minutes of the Board of Visitors at the Royal Society, 1852.Statement by J. Henry on the salubrity of the air at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, 1852.Letter from Airy to R. Main, 1852, requesting copies of the letters he wrote to Main from Keswick in 1835.Instructions in reference to J. Glaisher's proposed superintendence of external meteorological...