Page:Lectures on Ten British Physicists of the Nineteenth Century.djvu/120

 Fortified with this opinion, the Government broke off definitely with poor Babbage.

Airy's successor at the Cambridge Observatory was named Challis. In 1844 Prof. Challis introduced to Airy by letter the senior wrangler of the previous year named J. C. Adams, who in consequence of having read Airy's report on recent progress in astronomy to the British Association had several years before formed the design of investigating the unexplained irregularities in the motion of the planet Uranus, and who was now, his undergraduate years over, busily engaged on the solution. Adams wished to be furnished with the Greenwich observations of Uranus; these were promptly supplied. A year later Challis wrote a letter of introduction to Airy beginning: "My friend Mr. Adams, who will probably deliver this note to you, has completed his calculations respecting the perturbation of the orbit of Uranus by a supposed ulterior planet, and has arrived at results which he would be glad to communicate to. you, if you could spare him a few moments of your valuable time." Provided with this letter, Adams called at the Royal Observatory; Airy was absent in France. A month later, when Airy had returned, Adams called again; the astronomer royal was taking his midday walk, but would be back soon. Adams called an hour later; the astronomer was at dinner, and granted no interview. Adams left a paper giving the results of his investigation—the mass, position, and elements of the orbit of the new planet. A few days later Airy sent him a letter inquiring whether his theory likewise accounted for the irregularities in the radius-vector of Uranus. Adams did not reply; he felt mortified, and he thought the question trivial. Airy wrote no further letter to Adams; but a few months later, when Leverrier communicated similar results in a letter, he replied hailing Leverrier as the true predicter of the new planet. It was Airy's custom to turn off visitors without seeing them; interviews interfered too much with his pet order. He forgot his official position, and how he himself had been assisted. Adams was very unfortunate in the man to whom he confided his results. Prof. Challis made use of the Cam-