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Newton's Optics

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  • Jim Bennett, The Newtonian Telescope In his first vodcast, Jim Bennett, Director of the Oxford Museum of the History of Science, talks about the Newtonian telescope, why Newton designed it, and how it fits into the story of science in the eighteenth century.[ 640x360 m4v (35.8 Mb)]
  • Jim Bennett, Astronomical Instruments In his second vodcast, Jim Bennett, Director of the Oxford Museum of the History of Science, explores the impact of the astronomical instrument trade on the practise of astronomy in the eighteenth century.[ 640x360 m4v (32.7 Mb)]
  • Jim Bennett, Scientific Instrument Makers In his third vodcast, Jim Bennett, Director of the Oxford Museum of the History of Science, examines how instrument makers exerted more control over which instruments were made than the astronomers who commissioned them.[ 640x360 m4v (18.1 Mb)]
  • Dr Jonathan Hare, Experimentum Crucis This experiment explains how Newton proved the homogeneity of light using a prism and a convex lens.[ 640x360 m4v (15.3 Mb)]

Texts

Sorted by author

  • Robert Hooke, "Critique of Newton's 'Theory about Light and Colors'" Date: 1672 Published in: Thomas Birch, The History of the Royal Society of London (London, 1757), vol. 3, pp. 10-15.
  • Christiaan Huygens, "Christiaan Huygens' comments on Newton's telescope" Date: 25 March 1672 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 81, pp. 4008-4009.
  • Christiaan Huygens, "An Extract of a Letter lately written by an ingenious person from Paris, containing some Considerations upon Mr. Newtons Doctrine of Colors" Date: 21 July 1673 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 96, pp. 6086-6087.
  • Christiaan Huygens, "An Answer (to the former Letter), written to the Publisher June 10. 1673. by the same Parisian Philosopher" Date: 31 May/10 June 1673 (published 6 Oct. 1673) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 97, p. 6112.
  • Francis Linus, "A Letter of the Learn'd Franc. Linus, to a Friend of his in London, animadverting upon Mr. Isaac Newton's Theory of Light and Colors" Date: 25 Jan. 1674/5 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 110, pp. 217-19.
  • Francis Linus, "A Letter of Mr. Franc. Linus, written to the Publisher from Liege the 25th of Febr. 1675 st. n." Date: 15/25 Feb. 1675 (published 24 Jan. 1675/6) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 121, pp. 499-501 [=500].
  • Anthony Lucas, "A Letter from Liege concerning Mr. Newton's Experiment of the colour'd Spectrum; together with some Exceptions against his Theory of Light and Colours" Date: 25 September 1676 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 128, pp. 692-8.
  • Robert Moray, "Some Experiments propos'd in relation to Mr. Newton's Theory of light" Date: 20 May 1672 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 83, pp. 4059-4062.
  • Isaac Newton, Pierpont Morgan Notebook Date: 1659-early 1660s Location: Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, USA
  • Isaac Newton, 'Quæstiones quædam Philosophiæ' ('Certain Philosophical Questions') Date: early-mid 1660s Shelfmark: Additional Ms. 3996 Location: Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, UK
  • Isaac Newton, 'Of Colours' Date: 1665-6 Shelfmark: Additional Ms. 3975, pp. 1-22 Location: Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, UK
  • Isaac Newton, Draft of 'A Theory Concerning Light and Colors' Date: Late 1671/early 1672 Shelfmark: Additional Ms. 3970.3, ff.460-66 Location: Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, UK
  • Isaac Newton, "A Letter of Mr. Isaac Newton, Professor of the Mathematicks in the University of Cambridge; containing his New Theory about Light and Colors" Date: 19 Feb. 1671/2 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 80, pp. 3075-3087.
  • Isaac Newton, "An Accompt of a New Catadioptrical Telescope invented by Mr. Newton" Date: 25 March 1672 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 81, pp. 4004-4007.
  • Isaac Newton, "[A]n Extract of a Letter, received very lately, (March 19th) from the Inventor of this new Telescope, from Cambridge" Date: 25 March 1672 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 81, pp. 4009-4010.
  • Isaac Newton, "Mr. Newton's Letter to the Publisher of March 26. 1672. containing some more suggestions about His New Telescope" Date: 26 March 1672 (published 22 April 1672) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 82, pp. 4032-4034.
  • Isaac Newton, "An Extract of another Letter of the same to the Publisher, dated March 30. 1672. by way of Answer to some Objections, made by an Ingenious French Philosopher to the New Reflecting Telescope" Date: 30 March 1672 (published 22 April 1672) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 82, pp. 4034-35.
  • Isaac Newton, "Mr. Isaac Newton's Considerations upon part of a Letter of Monsieur de Bercé printed in the Eight French Memoire, concerning the Cata drioptrical [sic] Telescope, pretended to be improv'd and refined by M. Cassegrain" Date: 20 May 1672 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 83, pp. 4056-59.
  • Isaac Newton, "The Observations, made upon these proposals [of Robert Moray]" Date: 20 May 1672 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 83, pp. 4060-4062.
  • Isaac Newton, "Mr. Newtons Letter of April 13. 1672. st. v. written to the Publisher, being an Answer to the fore-going Letter of P. Pardies" Date: 13 April 1672 (published 17 June 1672) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 84, pp. 4091-3.
  • Isaac Newton, "A Serie's of Quere's propounded by Mr. Isaac Newton, to be determin'd by Experiments, positively and directly concluding his new Theory of Light and Colours" Date: 8 July 1672 (published 15 July 1672) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 85, pp. 4004 [5004]-5007.
  • Isaac Newton, "Mr. Newtons Answer to the foregoing Letter" Date: 15 July 1672 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 85, pp. 5014-18.
  • Isaac Newton, "Mr. Isaac Newtons Answer to some Considerations upon his Doctrine of Light and Colors; which Doctrine was printed in Numb. 80. of these Tracts" Date: 18 November 1672 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 88, pp. 5084-5103.
  • Isaac Newton, "Mr. Newtons Answer to the foregoing Letter further explaining his Theory of Light and Colors, and particularly that of Whiteness" Date: 21 July 1673 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 96, pp. 6087-92.
  • Isaac Newton, "An Extract of Mr. Isaac Newton's Letter, written to the Publisher from Cambridge April 3. 1673. concerning the Number of Colors, and the Necessity of mixing them all for the production of White" Date: 3 April 1673 (published 6 Oct. 1673) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 97, pp. 6108-11.
  • Isaac Newton, "Hypothesis explaining the properties of light" Date: 1675 Published in: Thomas Birch, The History of the Royal Society (London, 1757), vol. 3, pp. 247-305.
  • Isaac Newton, "An Answer to this Letter [of Francis Linus]" Date: 25 Jan. 1674/5 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 110, pp. 219.
  • Isaac Newton, "Mr. Isaac Newton's Considerations on the Former Reply; together with Further Directions, How to Make the Experiments Controverted Aright" Date: 13 Nov. 1675 (published 24 Jan. 1675/6) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 121, pp. 500 [501]-502.
  • Isaac Newton, "An Extract of another Letter of Mr. Newton, written to the Publisher the 10th of January 1675/6. relating to the same Argument" Date: 10 Jan. 1675/6 (published 24 Jan. 1675/6) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 121, pp. 503-4.
  • Isaac Newton, "A particular answer of Mr. Isaak Newton to Mr. Linus his Letter [...] about an Experiment relating to the New Doctrine of Light and Colours" Date: 29 Feb. 1675/6 (published 25 March 1676) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 123, pp. 556-561.
  • Isaac Newton, "Mr Newton's Answer to the precedent Letter" Date: 25 September 1676 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 128, pp. 698-705.
  • Isaac Newton, Opticks: Or, A treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. Also Two treatises of the Species and Magnitude of Curvilinear Figures (London: 1704)
  • Isaac Newton, Draft Versions of 'The Queries' Date: c. 1704-1706 Shelfmark: Additional Ms. 3970.3, ff. 231r-301r, 359r, 477v-478r, 610r-612r, 618r-623r Location: Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, UK
  • Isaac Newton, Optice: Sive De Reflexionibus, Refractionibus, Inflexionibus & Coloribus Lucis. Libri Tres (London: 1706)
  • Isaac Newton, Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. The Second Edition, with Additions (London: 1718)
  • Isaac Newton, A true Copy of a Paper found, in the Hand Writing of Sir Isaac Newton, among the Papers of the Late Dr. Halley, containing a Description of an Instrument for observing the Moon's Distance from the Fixt Stars at Sea Date: Published Oct.-Nov. 1742 Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 465, pp. 155-6.
  • Ignace Pardies, A Latin Letter written to the Publisher April 9. 1672. n. st. by Ignatius Gaston Pardies P. Prof. of the Mathematicks in the Parisian Colledge of Clermont; containing some Animadversions upon Mr. Isaac Newton, Prof. of the Mathematicks in the University of Cambridge, his Theory of Light Date: 30 March/9 April 1672 (published 17 June 1672) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 84, pp. 4087-4090.
  • Ignace Pardies, A Second Letter of P. Pardies, written to the Publisher from Paris May 21. 1672. to Mr. Newtons Answer, made to his first Letter Date: 11/21 May 1672 (published 15 July 1672) Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society No. 85, pp. 5012-13.

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