John Goodricke (1764-1786) - photo 1
John Goodricke (1764-1786) - photo 2
John Goodricke (1764-1786) - photo 3

John Goodricke (1764-1786)

Lot 347
15.12.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 100
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1109149
Lot 347 | John Goodricke (1764-1786)
Estimate value
£ 1 000 – 1 500
John Goodricke (1764-1786)
Autograph letter signed (‘J Goodricke’) to Nathaniel Pigott, 'M. Yard' [York], 18 December n.y.
Two pages, 159 x 200mm, bifolium. Provenance: Sotheby's, 24 July 1978, lot 233.

Sending instructions to a fellow astronomer on observing Uranus through a telescope: ‘I believe you will see a star of the 6th May very bright which when you see, you must take as the Georgium Sidus and accordingly observe it’. The present letter details the exact timings and position of Georgium Sidus [Uranus] in the night sky, giving precise instructions to locate it: ‘I now take this opportunity to send you the Right Ascensions of the Georg. Sidus in sidereal time’. Advising Pigott to ‘move the telescope up & down one degree above 60° [...] If you observe it twice, you can be sure whether it is the planet by its motion, which I believe is sensible in a day or two [...] I will look for the relative position of the planet amongst the small star near it’. Goodricke concludes by wishing Pigott success in his viewing.

Georgium Sidus was originally discovered by William Herschel in 1781: it was later renamed Uranus.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
10.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
11.12.2023 09:00 – 20:00
12.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
13.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
?>