A Star in the Western Sky: John Birmingham, Astronomer and Poet
Abstract
John Birmingham (1814-1884) of Millbrook, County Galway, was an outstanding amateur astronomer, now completely forgotten. He discovered the 1866 nova, T Coronae Borealis. Later his name was assigned to a feature near Anaxagoras on the Moon. In 1884 the Royal Irish Academy awarded him its Cunningham Gold Medal for his catalogue of the red variable stars. John Birmingham was not only an acute observer, he also wrote numerous semi-popular articles on many aspects of astronomy. He was also active in geology and railway surveying.
- Publication:
-
The Antiquarian Astronomer
- Pub Date:
- 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004AntAs...1...23M