Hero or villain? Nevil Maskelyne’s posthumous reputation
Presenter: Rebekah Higgitt
Published: December 2012
Age: 18-22 and upwards
Views: 1201 views
Tags: astronomer
Type: Lectures
Source/institution: Royal Society
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Nevil Maskelyne, 5th Astronomer Royal and Fellow of the Royal Society, is today best known as the villain of Dava Sobel’s Longitude. This talk will, however, look further back and examine how Maskelyne has fared since his death in 1811, attempting to pinpoint when and why a more negative assessment overshadowed the positive celebration of a significant figure of British science.