I. Account of recent pendulum operation for determining the relative force of gravity at the kew and Greenwich observations

Abstract

It is well known that a series of pendulum observations was carried on in India, during the years 1865 to 1873, with two invariable pendulums, the property of the Royal Society. The Observatory of the Royal Society at Kew was chosen as the base-station of the operations, and the pendulums were swung there before being sent out to India, and again on their return from India. With a view to connecting the observations with those which had already been taken with other pendulums in other parts of the world, it was intended, on the return of the pendulums from India, to swing them at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, which was a well established pendulum station, observed at by General Sir Edward Sabine, the Russian Admiral Lütke, and others. But when the time arrived for making the observations at the Greenwich Observatory, such extensive preparations were being made there for the equipment of expeditions for the observation of the approaching transit of Venus that no room was available for the pendulum operations.