On the Determination of the Orbits of Comets: According To The Methods Of Father Boscovich And Mr De La Place (Cambridge Library Collection - Astronomy)

Englefield, Henry

ISBN 10: 1108061737 / ISBN 13: 9781108061735

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2013

About this Item

First published in 1793, this concise monograph is a valuable early manual for the computation of cometary movement. Series: Cambridge Library Collection - Astronomy. Num Pages: 290 pages, 4 b/w illus. BIC Classification: PGS. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 244 x 170 x 15. Weight in Grams: 470. . 2013. 1st Edition. paperback. . . . .

Seller Inventory # V9781108061735

Bibliographic Details

• Title: On the Determination of the Orbits of Comets: According To The Methods Of Father Boscovich And Mr De La Place (Cambridge Library Collection - Astronomy)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1108061737
• ISBN 13: 9781108061735
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

When this book first appeared in 1793, there had been no significant work on comets published in English since Edmond Halley's death some fifty years before. In Europe the field was dominated by French astronomers such as Pingré and Laplace, but their ornate styles were often difficult to translate. In this concise monograph, Sir Henry Englefield (c.1752–1822) draws both on this continental work and on his own correspondence with William Herschel to produce one of the few accessible manuals in English for the computation of cometary orbits. He includes mathematical examples as new formulae are introduced, along with detailed tables and appendices. Englefield's particular interest was in the development of scientific instruments suitable for travellers - he devised a portable telescope and lent his name to the Englefield mountain barometer - and his passion for efficiency shines through in this work, still valuable to researchers in the history of astronomy and comet science.

Book Description

In this concise monograph, Sir Henry Englefield (1752-1822) guides the reader through the computation of cometary orbits. First published in 1793, it represented one of the few such manuals available in English, and draws on the work of Newton, Pingré, Laplace, and Englefield's own correspondence with William Herschel.