Editing 1779 in science

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The year '''1779 in [[science]]''' and [[technology]] involved some significant events.

==Astronomy==
* March 23 – [[Edward Pigott]] discovers the [[Black Eye Galaxy]] (M64).
* May 5 – The [[spiral galaxy]] [[M61 (galaxy)|M61]] is discovered in the [[constellation]] [[Virgo (constellation)|Virgo]] by [[Barnabus Oriani]].

==Exploration==
* [[Horace-Bénédict de Saussure]] begins publication of ''Voyages dans les Alpes''.

==Mathematics==
* [[Étienne Bézout]] publishes ''Théorie générale des équations algébriques'' in Paris, containing original work on [[elimination theory]].

==Physics==
* [[Jean-Paul Marat]] publishes ''Découvertes de M. Marat sur le feu, l'électricité et la lumière'' (''Discoveries of Mr Marat on Fire, Electricity and Light'').

==Technology==
* January 8 – [[Bryan Higgins]] is granted a [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] [[patent]] for hydraulic [[cement]] (''[[stucco]]'') for use as an exterior plaster.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Knight|title=Higgins, Bryan (c. 1741–1818)|work=[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2004|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13228|accessdate=2011-06-20|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/13228}} {{ODNBsub}}</ref>
* May – [[Boulton and Watt]]'s [[Smethwick Engine]] is brought into service for pumping on the [[Birmingham Canal Navigations]]; two centuries later it will become the oldest working steam engine in the world.
* [[James Pickard]] first applies a [[Crank (mechanism)|crank]] and [[flywheel]] to a [[Newcomen atmospheric engine]] to produce [[circular motion]].
* [[The Iron Bridge]] is erected across the [[River Severn]] in [[Shropshire]], England; the first all-[[cast iron|cast-iron]] bridge ever built.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-timeline/1750-1800 |title=Icons, a portrait of England 1750-1800 |accessdate=2007-08-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817164134/http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-timeline/1750-1800 |archivedate=2007-08-17 }}</ref> It will open to traffic on January 1, 1781.<ref name="Cassell's Chronology">{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|url=https://archive.org/details/cassellschronolo0000will/page/333|url-access=registration|location=London|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cassellschronolo0000will/page/333 333–334]}}</ref>
* The [[spinning mule]] is perfected by the [[Lancashire]] inventor [[Samuel Crompton]].<ref name="Cassell's Chronology"/>
* The British [[Royal Navy]] adopts the [[carronade]].
* The [[Girandoni Air Rifle]] is designed in [[Austrian Empire|Austria]].

==Births==
* January 5 – General [[Zebulon Pike]], American explorer (died [[1813 in science|1813]])
* May 1 – [[Alexander Morison]], [[Scottish people|Scottish]] [[physician]] and [[psychiatrist]] (died [[1866 in science|1866]])
* August 7
** [[Jöns Jacob Berzelius]], [[Swedes|Swedish]] [[chemist]] (died [[1848 in science|1848]])
** [[Louis de Freycinet]], French explorer of coastal regions of [[Western Australia]] (died [[1842 in science|1842]])

==Deaths==
* January 22 – [[Jeremiah Dixon]], English [[Surveying|surveyor]] and [[astronomer]] (born [[1733 in science|1733]])
* February 14 – [[James Cook]], English [[List of explorers|explorer]] (born [[1728 in science|1728]])
* June 28 –  [[Martha Daniell Logan]],  American botanist (born [[1704 in science|1704]])
* October 18 – [[Patrick d'Arcy]], [[Irish people|Irish]]-born [[mathematician]] (born [[1725 in science|1725]])
* November 16 – [[Pehr Kalm]], Swedish botanist (born [[1716 in science|1716]])
* ''undated'' – [[John Kay (flying shuttle)|John Kay]], English inventor (born [[1704 in science|1704]])

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:1779 in science| ]]
[[Category:18th century in science]]
[[Category:1770s in science]]