London, England – Long before satellites and radar, one British scientist risked his life in the open sky to understand how weather truly works.
James Glaisher FRS, now reintroduced to the public through the Hollywood film The Aeronauts, was not only a daring balloonist but one of the founding figures of modern meteorology. His real-life story rivals any cinematic adaptation — and its scientific impact is still felt today.
According to historical records, Glaisher was born in Rotherhithe on April 7, 1809. His early career with the Ordnance Survey of Ireland involved hazardous mountaintop work in Galway and Tipperary. Prolonged exposure to harsh conditions damaged his health but sparked a lifelong fascination with clouds, temperature, and atmospheric behavior.
In 1836, Glaisher became the first Superintendent of the Magnetical and Meteorological Department at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Though described by his employer as “uncouth” and frequently at odds with regulations, Glaisher’s unconventional approach led to breakthroughs. He established the UK’s first standardized climatological observation network, personally inspecting sites, calibrating instruments, and inventing the Glaisher Screen — a precursor to modern weather shelters.
Using this network, Glaisher helped create the first daily weather maps, publicly displayed at the Great Exhibition in London on August 8, 1851. These maps relied on telegraph-delivered observations, proving that rapid data transmission could support real-time weather warnings — a cornerstone of today’s forecast systems.
Glaisher’s most dramatic achievement came on September 5, 1862, during a balloon ascent with pilot Henry Tracy Coxwell. As the balloon climbed above 36,000 feet, Glaisher lost consciousness due to oxygen deprivation. Coxwell, his hands frozen, reportedly opened the gas valve with his teeth to save them both.
Temperatures during the ascent dropped as low as –57°C. The data collected revealed, for the first time, that air temperature does not decrease uniformly with height — an early indication of the tropopause and stratosphere.
Glaisher survived, published extensively, and permanently changed how humanity understands the sky above.
