Sir Edward Sabine (October 14, 1788 – May 26, 1883) was an Irish astronomer, scientist, ornithologist and explorer. He was born in Dublin and died at East Sheen in Surrey. October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... An astronomer or spmething i cant inderstand is a scientist whose area of research is astronomy or astrophysics. ... This article is about the profession. ... Ornithology (from the Greek ornitha = chicken and logos = word/science) is the branch of biology concerned with the scientific study of birds. ... Exploration is the act of searching or traveling for the purpose of discovery, e. ... Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath),is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin region. ... Sheen is a place in southwest London nearby to Barnes, Roehampton and Putney to the east and Richmond to the west. ... Surrey is a county in southern England, one of the Home Counties. ...

Of Sabine's scientific work two branches in particular deserve very high credit

• Determination of the length of the second's pendulum, a simple pendulum, whose time period on the surface of the Earth is two seconds, that is, one second in each direction.
• Extensive researches connected with the Earth's magnetic field. He led the effort to establish a system of magnetic observatories in various parts of British territory all over the globe and a great part of his life was devoted to their direction, and to the reduction and discussion of their observations.

While the majority of his researches bear on one or other of the subjects just mentioned, others deal with such widely different topics as the birds of Greenland (Sabine's Gull is named for him), ocean temperatures, the Gulf Stream, barometric measurement of heights, arcs of meridian, glacial transport of rocks, the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands, and various points of meteorology. Simple Gravity Pendulum assumues no air resistance and no friction of/at the nail/screw. ... Earth, also known as the Earth, Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third planet outward from the Sun. ... The magnetosphere shields the surface of the Earth from the charged particles of the solar wind. ... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Xema sabini Sabine,, 1819 The Sabines Gull, Xema sabini, is a small gull, the only species in its genus. ... For the gospel rock band, see Ocean (band). ... For the album by Ocean Colour Scene, see North Atlantic Drift (album) The Gulf Stream is orange and yellow in this representation of water temperatures of the Atlantic. ... Schematic drawing of a simple mercury barometer with vertical mercury column and reservoir at base A barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure. ... Meridian is: Meridian (astronomy): an imaginary circle perpendicular to the horizon. ... This article is about the geographical formation. ... A volcano is a geological landform (usually a mountain) where magma (rock of the Earths interior made molten or liquid by extremely high temperatures along with a reduction in pressure and/or the introduction of water or other volatiles) erupts through the surface of the planet. ... State nickname: The Aloha State Other U.S. States Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle (R) Official languages Hawaiian and English Area 28,337 km² (43rd)  - Land 16,649 km²  - Water 11,672 km² (41. ... Satellite image of Hurricane Hugo Meteorology is the scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ...

Early Life

His father, Joseph Sabine, was a member of a prominent Anglo-Irish family, whose connections with the country can be traced back to the seventeenth century. His mother died when he was just one month old. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

He was educated at Marlow and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. In 1803 he obtained a commission in the Royal Artillery as a 2nd lieutenant, becoming a captain ten years later. He attained the rank of major-general in 1859. Marlow is the name of several places around the world: Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom Marlow, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom Marlow, Germany Marlow, New Hampshire, USA Marlow, Oklahoma, USA Marlow Heights, Maryland, USA It is also the surname of Christopher Marlow and Philip Marlowe. ... The Royal Military Academy was founded in 1741 in Woolwich, south-east London. ... Woolwich (pronounced Woolitch) is a town in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the London Borough of Newham) is on the north side of the river. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Royal Regiment of Artillery, generally known as the Royal Artillery (RA), is, despite its name, a corps of the British Army It is made up of a number of regiments. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

Sabine was stationed in Gibraltar during the Peninsular War, but it was in the War of 1812 against the United States that he had his first taste of combat. In May 1813, while making for Canada, the English packet-ship Manchester was attacked by an American privateer. In the ensuing battle Sabine, who was the Manchester's astronomer, reportedly handled a gun "to good effect." The Peninsular War (1808–1814) (known as War of Independence in Spain and as French Invasions in Portugal) was a major conflict during the Napoleonic Wars, fought in the Iberian Peninsula with Spanish, Portuguese, and the British forces fighting against the French. ... The War of 1812 was a conflict fought in North America between the United States and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815. ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In Canada Sabine commanded the batteries at the siege of Fort Erie. After a short spell of military service in Quebec, he returned to England and devoted the remainder of his long life to the more peaceful pursuits of astronomy, terrestrial magnetism and physical geography. Beginning in 1963, a terrorist group that became known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices and at least two murders by FLQ gunfire and three violent deaths by bombings. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Ethnicity...

The Ross Expedition

Sabine was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1818, and it was thanks to the society's recommendations that he was invited to take part that year in Captain John Ross's first arctic expedition. As the expedition's appointed astronomer, Sabine was told to assist Ross "in making such observations as may tend to the improvement of geography and navigation, and the advancement of science in general." The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is claimed to be the oldest learned society still in existence. ... 1818 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Engraving of Ross Sir John Ross (June 24, 1777 – August 30, 1856) was a British rear admiral and Arctic explorer. ...

Although the principal purpose of the voyage was to find the Northwest Passage, several objects of scientific curiosity were deemed worthy of investigation, such as the location of the Earth's north magnetic pole and the behaviour of pendulums in high latitudes. Popular Northwest Passage routes through the Canadian archipelago This article describes the route through the Canadian Arctic. ...

The expedition failed to discover the Northwest Passage and ended in controversy. When Ross found his progress through Lancaster Sound blocked by a mountain range, he turned around and headed back to Britain, much to the annoyance of the other members of the expedition. Both Sabine and Ross's second-in-command William Edward Parry doubted the very existence of the so-called Croker Mountains, which it seems only Ross saw. Sir William Edward Parry (December 19, 1790 - July 8, 1855) was an English rear-admiral and Arctic explorer. ...

Objecting to Ross's precipitate retreat, Sabine later recalled his "very visible mortification at having come away from a place which I considered as the most interesting in the world for magnetic observations, and where my expectations had been raised to the highest pitch, without having had an opportunity of making them."

To make matters worse, a very public row broke out between the two men when they arrived home. Sabine objected when Ross claimed the credit for certain magnetic observations. He also accused Ross of stealing magnetic measurements without giving him due credit, and of refusing to allow him enough time on the expedition to take accurate readings.

The results of Sabine's magnetic researches were published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Although he viewed his work as confirming and extending the discoveries of earlier "magnetic collectors," he stressed the need for the multiplication and repetition of observations. Sabine was a diligent and careful scientist. He generally avoided theoretical discussion in his writings, believing that a true understanding of terrestrial magnetism would only be arrived at after exhaustive observations had been made on a global scale.

The Parry Expedition

The following year (1819) both Sabines returned to the Arctic as members of Lieutenant-commander William Edward Parry's expedition in search of the Northwest Passage. 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

The Admiralty once again instructed the participants to gather such scientific data as "must prove most valuable and interesting to the science of our country." They were to pay particular attention to magnetic measurements, especially the possible interactions between magnetic needles, atmospheric electricity and the aurora borealis. They were also to attempt to establish the location of the Earth's North Magnetic Pole, then believed to lie somewhere along the western shore of Baffin Bay. Aurora borealis Polar aurorae are optical phenomena characterized by colorful displays of light in the night sky. ... Map of Baffin Island and surrounding areas, including Baffin Bay. ...

Like Ross, Parry did not find the passage, but he did set a new record for the "furthest west," which stood for several decades.

In order to alleviate the tedium of the long arctic winter, Sabine produced a weekly newspaper for the amusement of the crew. Known as the North Georgia Gazette and Winter Chronicle, it ran for twenty-one issues. Due to public demand, it was actually published on their return to Britain – much to Sabine's surprise.

During this expedition, which lasted from May 1819 to November 1820, Sabine noted that changes in magnetic intensity had taken place since his previous visit. He attributed such changes to either a fluctuation in the Earth's magnetic intensity or the shifting positions of the terrestrial magnetic poles. 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

For his work in the Arctic Sabine received the Copley Medal from the Royal Society in 1821. The Copley Medal is a scientific award for work in any field of science, the highest award granted by the Royal Society of London. ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The Figure of the Earth

Sabine next turned his attention to the science of geodesy, which had already engaged his attention during the first of his arctic voyages, and in particular the determination of the length of the second's pendulum.

By measuring the length of a second's pendulum in different latitudes, one can calculate the "oblateness" of the Earth - ie the degree to which the "figure of the Earth" departs from perfect sphericity. Attempts to do this had been made in the eighteenth century, but it was not until Sabine's lifetime that precision instruments were available to allow sufficiently accurate measurements to be made.

Sabine threw himself into the task with his usual diligence. Between 1821 and 1823 he travelled halfway around the world with his pendulums and carried out innumerable measurements on the intertropical coasts of Africa and the Americas. and again He also returned to the Arctic, journeying up the eastern coast of Greenland with Captain D Clavering on Parry's old ship the Griper. Observations were made at Little Pendulum Island, in latitude 74° 30', and among the snows of Spitsbergen. Sabine even had an island named in his honour during this expedition. 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent and second most populous after Asia. ... Svalbard, part of the Kingdom of Norway, lies in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe. ...

The results of his were published in 1825. They represented the most accurate assessment of the figure of the earth that had ever been made. Not content to rest on his laurels, Sabine conducted further pendulum experiments throughout the 1820s, determining the relative lengths of the second's pendulum in Paris, London, Greenwich, and Altona. 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... St. ... Greenwich (pronounced gren-itch , or by the locals) is a town, now part of the south eastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the river Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Altona may refer to various places: Altona, Victoria, a seaside suburb in Melbourne, Australia Altona, Illinois, a village located in Knox County, Illinois Altona, Indiana, a town located in DeKalb County, Indiana Altona, Hamburg, the westmost district in the city of Hamburg This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid...

The Longitude Problem

Sabine was also drawn into the famous "longitude problem," which was one of the great controversies of the age. Determining one's longitude remained the primary navigational concern at that time. Sabine hoped to devise a simple method of achieving this by measuring minute variations in the Earth's magnetic field. In the eighteenth century Sir Edmund Halley and William Whiston (Newton’s successor as Lucasian professor at Cambridge) had theorized that one could calculate both the latitude and longitude of any position on the surface of the earth by measuring the magnetic dip of a compass needle. Edmond Halley. ... William Whiston William Whiston (December 9, 1667 - August 22, 1752), English divine and mathematician, was born at Norton in Leicestershire, of which village his father was rector. ... Sir Isaac Newton in Godfrey Knellers 1689 portrait Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1727 by the Julian calendar in use in England at the time; or 4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727 by the Gregorian calendar) was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and alchemist who... REDIRECT [1] ...

But the extraordinarily accurate chronometers of John Harrison were generally available from the 1820s on, rendering the whole question immaterial. By the time Sabine became interested in the problem, it had already been solved, and in 1828 the British government abolished the Board of Longitude. As it happened, secular changes in the Earth's magnetic field meant that Halley and Whiston&'s method would never have been practicable. For the recipients of the Victoria Cross, see either John Harrison (VC 1857) or John Harrison (VC 1917) See also the author M. John Harrison; John Harrison Mayor of North Tyneside John Harrison. ... 1828 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Board of Longitude was a British Government body formed in 1714 to solve the problem of finding longitude at sea. ...

But Sabine did make one notable contribution to the longitude problem. In 1825 he and fellow-astronomer Sir John Herschel collaborated with a French government commission to determine the precise difference of longitude between the observatories of Paris and Greenwich. By means of rocket-signals the difference was found to be 9' 21.6" – an error of less than one arcsecond. 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... John Herschel John Frederick William Herschel (7 March 1792 – 11 May 1871) was an English mathematician and astronomer. ...

Leave of Absence

In 1827 The Duke of Wellington granted Sabine general leave of absence from the army on the understanding "that he was usefully employed in scientific pursuits." But his leave did not last very long. Political agitation in Ireland necessitated an increased military presence in the country, and in 1830 Sabine was recalled to military duty. He remained in his native land for the next seven years, but he did not allow his new military duties to interrupt his scientific endeavours. He continued his pendulum investigations and in 1834 commenced a systematic magnetic survey of Ireland – the first of its kind in what was then the United Kingdom. It was extended to Scotland in 1836, and to England the following year. 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Most Noble Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, PC, FRS (1 May 1769–14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman, widely considered one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages with Official Status1 English Scottish Gaelic Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Scientific Adviser to the Admiralty

On the abolition of the Board of Longitude in 1828, it was arranged that three scientific advisers to the Admiralty should be nominated from the council of the Royal Society. Sabine, Michael Faraday, and Thomas Young were chosen. Sabine's appointment was violently attacked by Charles Babbage, the father of the computer, (largely on account of his associations with the Royal Society, whose scientific credentials Babbage did not recognise) in a pamphlet entitled Reflections on the Decline of Science in England, and on Some of its Causes. Sabine, however, refused to be drawn into the controversy. Michael Faraday Michael Faraday (September 22, 1791 – August 25, 1867) was a British scientist (a physicist and chemist) who contributed significantly to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. ... Thomas Young, English scientist Thomas Young (June 13, 1773 – May 10, 1829) was an English scientist and researcher. ... Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (December 26, 1791 – October 18, 1871) was an English mathematician, analytical philosopher and (proto-) computer scientist who originated the idea of a programmable computer. ...

The Magnetic Crusade

During these decades the Royal Navy and Royal Society devoted so much energy to the problems of magnetic variation that magnetism came to be seen as an eminently "British" science. There was intense interest in figuring out what many called "the great remaining physical mystery since Newton's work on gravitation." By the beginning of the nineteenth century, it was widely recognized that the Earth's magnetic field was continually changing over time in a complicated way that interfered with compass readings. It was a mystery which some scientists believed might be associated with weather patterns.

To solve this mystery once and for all, a number of physicists recommended that a magnetic survey of the entire globe be carried out. Sabine was one of the instigators of this "Magnetic Crusade,"” urging the government to establish magnetic observatories throughout the empire. He also recruited many disciples to the cause – most notably James Clark Ross, a nephew of Sir John's, the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt and the astronomer royal, George Airy. Sir James Clark Ross (April 15, 1800 – April 3, 1862), was a British naval officer and explorer. ... Friedrich Heinrich Alexander, Baron von Humboldt, (September 14, 1769, Berlin–May 6, 1859, Berlin), was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt. ... George Biddell Airy Sir George Biddell Airy (July 27, 1801 – January 2, 1892) was British Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881. ...

A committee, of which Sabine was a prominent member, was established to work out the details. Suitable locations for the observatories were selected in both hemispheres and representations were made to despatch an expedition to the Southern Ocean to carry out a magnetic survey of the Antarctic. In the spring of 1839, the government approved the scheme. Observatories were to be established at Toronto, St. Helena, Cape Town, Tasmania and at stations to be determined by the East India Company, while other nations were invited to co-operate. Sabine was appointed to superintend the entire operation. Greek ἀνταρκτικός, opposite the arctic) is a continent surrounding the Earths South Pole. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... }|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Official Flag]]|Coat Image=[[Image:{{{Coat Image}}}|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Coat of Arms]]}} {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada... The arms of Cape Town. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was a joint-stock company of investors, which was granted a Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, with the intent to favour trade privileges in India. ...

Most of these observatories were of limited size and were dismantled as soon as the initial survey was complete, but the one founded by Sabine at Toronto in 1840 is still in existence. Originally housed in a modest building at the newly established University of Toronto, it was called the Toronto Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory. It was the first scientific institution in the country. 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada and one of the most important scholarly publishers in North America. ...

The birthplace of Canadian astronomy was a simple log building held together with copper nails and brass fastenings. Non-magnetic materials were used to avoid the problem of "local attraction." A second room was built to house a telescope, which was used to make accurate time readings based on the movement of the Sun and stars. The modern stone observatory was erected in 1855. 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In those days, there was no way to take continuous readings: everything had to be done by hand. Thousands of painstaking observations were taken by the staff – sometimes as frequently as every five minutes! These observations were all carefully scrutinised by Sabine back in Britain.

In 1852, Sabine recognized from the Toronto records that magnetic variations could be divided into a regular diurnal cycle and an irregular portion. The irregularity correlated very closely with fluctuations in the number of sunspots, whose cyclic nature had been discovered in 1844 by the German amateur astronomer Heinrich Schwabe. Sabine was the first to recognize that solar disturbances affected the Earth's magnetic environment. On 6 April 1852 he announced that the Sun's 11-year sunspot cycle was "absolutely identical" to the Earth's 11-year geomagnetic cycle. 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Samuel Heinrich Schwabe (October 25, 1789–April 11, 1875) was a German astronomer. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

The following year, Sabine also made a similar correlation with the Moon, establishing that that celestial body too had an influence on the Earth's magnetic field. He concluded that the Moon must have a significant magnetic field of its own to cause such an effect. But for once he was mistaken: the effect is actually the result of gravitational tides in the ionosphere. (Nevertheless, a crater on the Moon has been named in his honour.) This article is about impact craters, also known as meteor craters. ...

Throughout the 1840s and 1950s, Sabine continued to superintend the operation of magnetic observatories throughout the British Empire. The result was Sabine's magnum opus: as complete a magnetic survey of the globe as was then humanly possible. Events and Trends Technology First use of anaesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long War, peace and politics First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi New Zealand. ... // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the height of the baby-boom from returning...

Later Life

Throughout his long life Edward Sabine received numerous decorations for his contributions to science. In 1849 the Royal Society awarded him one of its gold medals for his work on terrestrial magnetism. Sabine was president of the society from 1861 until his resignation ten years later. He was a member of the Royal Commission of 1868-1869 for standardizing weights and measures. Both Oxford and Cambridge bestowed honorary doctorates on him. He was a fellow of the Linnean and the Royal Astronomical Societies, and president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The definition, agreement and practical use of units of weights and measures have played a crucial role in human endeavor from early ages up to this day. ...

He was knighted in 1869, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. He retired from the army on full pay in 1877, by which time he had achieved the rank of General. 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1879 Sabine's wife, Elizabeth Leeves, died. An accomplished woman in her own right, she had assisted her husband in his scientific endeavours for more than half a century. Her four-volume translation of Alexander von Humboldt’s monumental textbook of geophysics Kosmos, was published 1849-1858. 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ...

Sir Edward Sabine died at East Sheen, Surrey, on 26 June 1883. He was 94. June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online

Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Bart. ... The President of the Royal Society (PRS) is the elected head of the Royal Society of London. ... George Biddell Airy Sir George Biddell Airy (July 27, 1801–January 2, 1892) was British Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881. ...