"The engrossing subject of this year was the discovery of Neptune. As
I have said (1845) I obtained no answer from Adams to a letter of
enquiry. Beginning with June 26th of 1846 I had correspondence of a
satisfactory character with Le Verrier, who had taken up the subject
of the disturbance of Uranus, and arrived at conclusions not very
different from those of Adams. I wrote from Ely on July 9th to
Challis, begging him, as in possession of the largest telescope in
England, to sweep for the planet, and suggesting a plan. I received
information of its recognition by Galle, when I was visiting Hansen at
Gotha. For further official history, see my communications to the
Royal Astronomical Society, and for private history see the papers in
the Royal Observatory. I was abused most savagely both by English and
French."
The Report to the Visitors contains an interesting account of the
Great Lunar Reductions, from which the following passage is extracted:
"Of the Third Section, containing the comparison of Observed Places
with Tabular Places, three sheets are printed, from 1750 to 1756. This
comparison, it is to be observed, does not contain a simple comparison
of places, but contains also the coefficients of the various changes
in the moon's place depending on changes in the elements.
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