Two Guernseymen and Two Eclipses
Abstract
Warren De La Rue was undoubtedly the most accomplished Guernsey-born astronomer, while Paul Jacob Naftel was an equally accomplished Guernsey-born artist. Apart from their island births and contemporary 19th century lives, it appears unlikely that they had much in common. But both made scientifically valuable observations of total solar eclipses, coincidentally both in Spain, just ten years apart. This paper records these achievements of both men, and some details of the expeditions in which each participated. It is based in part on lectures given by the author to the Society for the History of Astronomy in 2003, and to La Société Guernesiaise (the Guernsey local studies society) and the Royal Astronomical Society in 2005.
- Publication:
-
The Antiquarian Astronomer
- Pub Date:
- January 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008AntAs...4...55L