'--After reference to the
great value of the Greenwich Lunar Observations to Prof. Hansen in
constructing his Tables, and to the liberality of the British
Government in their grants to Hansen, the Report continues thus: 'A
strict comparison of Hansen's Tables with the Greenwich Observations
of late years, both meridional and extra-meridional, was commenced.
The same observations had, in the daily routine of the Observatory,
been compared with the Nautical Almanac or Burckhardt's Tables. The
result for one year only (1852) has yet reached me, but it is most
remarkable. The sum of squares of residual errors with Hansen's Tables
is only one-eighth part of that with Burckhardt's Tables. When it is
remembered that in this is included the entire effect of errors and
irregularities of observation, we shall be justified in considering
Hansen's Tables as nearly perfect. So great a step, to the best of my
knowledge, has never been made in numerical physical theory. I have
cited this at length, not only as interesting to the Visitors from the
circumstance that we have on our side contributed to this great
advance, but also because an innovation, peculiar to this Observatory,
has in no small degree aided in giving a decisive character to the
comparison.
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