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Citation

Alternate Title(s):
Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London
Notes: no. 406, pp. 637-660.
Author: James Bradley
Publication Location: London
Year: 1729

Item Location

Exhibit: The New Physics
Section: The Universe
Summary

Direct observational proof of the motion of the Earth remained difficult to find, even as late as the generation of Isaac Newton. The first direct observational evidence of the annual revolution of the Earth came in 1725 when James Bradley detected “stellar aberration,” a slight shifting in the angle of light from distant stars due to the changing velocity of the Earth. He reported his discovery to Edmond Halley in this letter to the Royal Society.

Related Items

Theme(s): Astronomy, Physics, Mathematics, Scientific Instruments, Philosophy
Chronological Period: 18th century
Geographical Region(s): England, Europe
Resource Type: Book