Nevil Maskelyne
IN THE SUMMER OF 1774 THE REVEREND
NEVIL MASKELYNE FRS, ASTRONOMER ROYAL,
SET UP OBSERVATORIES ON EITHER SIDE OF
SCHIEHALLION TO MEASURE BY HOW MUCH
PLUMBLINES WOULD BE PULLED OUT OF THE
VERTICAL AND TOWARDS THE MOUNTAIN BY
THE GRAVITATIONAL FORCE DUE TO ITS
MASS. AT THE TIME, THIS WAS CALLED THE
ATTRACTION OF MOUNTAINS IN EFFECT,
IT BECAME THE FIRST DETERMINATION OF
NEWTON'S UNIVERSAL GRAVITATIONAL CONSTANT.
THE MOUNTAIN WAS SURVEYED BY
REUBEN BURROW OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY
GREENWICH. THE CALCULATIONS WERE
MADE BY THE MATHEMATICIAN CHARLES
HUTTON FRS, DURING WHICH HE WAS THE
FIRST TO USE LAND SURFACE CONTOUR LINES,
NOW UNIVERSALLY EMPLOYED IN MAP MAKING.
THIS PLAQUE WAS SET UP BY THE
ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON AND THE ROYAL
ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY IN 1982, THE 250th
ANNIVERSARY OF MASKELYNE'S BIRTH.
Submitted by @RichardDawkins