The Expeditions of William Bayly and Jeremiah Dixon to Honningsvåg and Hammerfest, 1769

Nils Voje Johansen

In 1769 the Royal Society in London sent the astronomers William Bayly and Jeremiah Dixon to northernmost Norway to observe the transit of Venus taking place the night between 3 and 4 June. The astronomers should set up two prefabricated observatories and were brought to Norway by HMS Emerald, a ship provided by the Admiralty and commanded by Captain Charles Douglas. This paper describes the expedition as well as some results including Captain Douglas' attempt to measure the temperature of sea water at great depth.

Manuscript: jad19_1f.pdf