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HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.
easy celestial observations, and claimed the reward offered for such a dis-covery. The method which he was desirous of communicating, wasfounded on a comparison of the observed and calculated distances of themoon from the fixed stars. A committee, consisting of Lord Brouncker ,the Bishop of Salisbury, and several other individuals, was appointed totake the subject into consideration. Flamsteed, who, through the influ-ence of his patron Sir Jonas Moore , was nominated one of the membersof the committee, was requested to provide the observations which theFrenchman demanded for the purpose of illustrating the practicability ofhis method. Flamsteed speedily supplied the necessary observations, buthe took occasion to remark that, however accurate they might be, themethod was still defective, inasmuch as the best astronomical tables some-times erred to the extent of 12' in the moon’s place. Moreover, hestated that the method tacitly implied that the places of the fixed stars inTycho Brahe ’s catalogue were absolutely correct, whereas he had found byhis own observations that they were generally 5' or 6' in error, and insome instances even more. The commissioners agreed unanimously inthe justness of Flamsteed’s remarks, and, at the suggestion of Sir JonasMoore , it was resolved to memorialise the king on the expediency of erect-ing an observatory for the purpose of making observations of the celestialbodies which might serve for the discovery of the longitude, since thesolution of that important problem appeared evidently unattainable by anyother means *.
The king gave his cordial assent to the views of the commissioners,and steps were immediately taken to carry them into effect. Flam-steed was appointed Astronomer Boyal, with a salary of £100 a year.The warrant of Charles II. for the payment of his salary is datedMarch 4, 1674-5. He is therein styled “ our Astronomical Obser-vator,” and it is declared that the duty of his office is “ forthwith toapply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifyingthe tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixedstars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places forthe perfecting the art of navigation.” The warrant for the buildingof the Observatory is dated June 2nd, 1676. It modestly announcesthe royal resolution to build a small observatory in the park at Green-wich “in order to the finding out of the longitude for perfecting navi-gation and astronomy.” Sir Christopher Wren is charged to preparethe plan of the building, and to select a proper site for it; and the MasterGeneral of the Ordnance is instructed to advance the funds necessary forits completion, upon the condition that the expense of erection do not ex-ceed five hundred pounds f.
The foundation stone of the observatory was laid on the 10th of August,1675, and the building was finished in less than a year. Flamsteed tookup his residence at it on the 10th of July, 1676, and shortly afterwardscommenced his duties as an observer. Before proceeding further with thehistory of this famous observatory, it will be desirable to allude briefly tothe important labours of Roemer on the Continent.
* Baily’s Life of Flamsteed, p. 125.
f Flamsteed states that, besides £500 in money, the king allowed bricks from TilburyFort, and some wood, iron, and lead from a gate-house demolished in the Tower; andthat he also encouraged them further with a promise of what more would be requisite.According to Mr. Baily, the actual cost of erection amounted to £520 9s. ltf. (Baily’sLife of Flamsteed, p. 39.)