9 February

02 FEB. 2005 Fecha de publicación 1153 Visualizaciones

1811: On 9 February 1811, Nevil Maskelyne died.

Maskelyne was a British astronomer noted for his contribution to the science of navigation. In 1761 the Royal Society sent Maskelyne to the island of St Helena to make accurate measurements of a transit of Venus. This in turn gave the distance from Earth to the Sun, and the scale of the Solar System.

During the voyage he also experimented with the lunar position method of determining longitude. In 1764 he went on a voyage to Barbados to carry out trials of Harrison's timepiece, followed by appointment as Astronomer Royal in 1765.


Enlaces relacionados


mantente informado

Suscríbete a nuestro boletín para recibir las últimas noticias, actualizaciones de misiones y contenido exclusivo directamente en tu bandeja de entrada. Sé el primero en conocer nuestros próximos proyectos y avances.