9 February

02 FEAB. 2005 Dáta foilsithe 1153 Amhairc

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.


Naisc ghaolmhara


Fan suas chun dáta

Liostáil lenár nuachtlitir chun an nuacht is déanaí, nuashonruithe misin, agus léargas eisiach a fháil go díreach i do bhosca isteach. Bí ar an gcéad duine a bheidh ar an eolas faoinár dtionscadail agus ár ndul chun cinn atá le teacht.