Milestones of Science Books

BRADLEY, James & BLISS, Nathaniel.

Astronomical Observations, made at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, from the year 1750 to the year 1764.

Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1798.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #101547

Vol. 1 and Part 2 of Vol. 2 only, bound in 2 Volumes, (2), LVI, 301, 156, 202 pp.; (2), 396 pp. Contemporary half leather, spines gilt, with labels, rubbed, bumped and somwhat soiled. Spine of vol. 2 torn.. Old stamp on title recto cancelled; glue remnants of ex libris on inner cover.

Poggendorff I, Sp. 212 (Bliss) u. 272 (Bradley). - Vol. I of Bradley's astronomical observations..., published by Th. Hornsby, which contains the observations for the years 1750 to 1755. W/o the 2nd volume by Robertson with the observations for the years 1756 to 1762, but with its part 2, which contains the further observations by N. Bliss made between 1762 and 1764. - Bradley succeeded Halley as Astronomer Royal in 1742. On taking up the post he tested and repaired the Greenwich instruments and embarked on an intensive series of star observations. He found that the instruments had become inaccurate and managed to obtain a grant of £1000 from the admiralty to re-equip the observatory. 'As a result, the massive program of observations (at least 60,000) made at Greenwich from 1750 to 1762 attained a very high standard of accuracy, sufficient to make them useful to modern astronomers. The value of his star observations increases with time, for they provide a firm starting point for long-term investigations of stellar motions.' (A. F. O'D. Alexander, DSB 2:388-389a). The preface by Thomas Hornsby gives an account of the new instruments and Bradley's observations, whose publication had been delayed by legal wrangles over the ownership of the Astronomer Royal's observations - almost a re-run of the Flamsteed controversy. Various tables by several authors including Bradley and observations by his successor, Nathaniel Bliss. 1798 + 1805.

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