 With Robert L. J. Ellery, Russell organised an expedition to observe a total eclipse of the sun to Cape Sidmouth in 1871.Russell prepared for the observation of the transit of Venus in 1874 for which four observing stations were equipped.Russell arranged for a band of competent observers to staff them, and the results were generally very successful; an interesting account of them was published by Russell in 1892, "Observations of the Transit of Venus".