James Glaisher (1809-1903),British meteorologist and aeronaut. Glaisher worked as an observatory assistant at Cambridge and London,UK,before being promoted to superintendent of the meteorology and magnetism department at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. He devised the dew-point tables for measuring relative humidity,and founded the Meteorological Society. Also a keen balloonist,he made a series of ascents to make measurements of temperature,pressure and humidity at high altitudes. This sketch,dated 15th March 1858,shows Glaisher looking disappointed at not seeing Baily's Beads,a phenomenon that occurs during a solar eclipse,as a thick cloud had hidden them from view |