Visit to the RAS Library

A thoroughly enjoyable hour was spent yesterday afternoon on a specially arranged tour of the Royal Astronomical Society library for members of the Flamsteed History of Astronomy Group.

Many thanks to Brian Blake for making the arrangements with the RAS, and to Mike D for taking bookings and leading us on the day.

Mike has written a report of proceedings, which are now on the website, with a few pictures. If anyone else took pictures, please send them in, and we will include them in the report. The report can be found here: http://flamsteed.info/2015/01/flamsteed-history-group-visit-to-the-ras-library/

I think my favourite book of the day was Herschel's copy of Flamsteed's Atlas Coelestis. It was extraordinary to see Caroline Herschel's pencil annotations in the margins of the star maps. And to see a first edition of Newton's Principia Mathematica, quite amazing.

An excellent tour, which I'm sure we will repeat one day. If you missed out on this tour, make sure that you don't miss the next one!