Overview
- Presents a detailed study of the amateur astronomer in Victorian England
- Provides a detailed study of the rise of meteor astronomy
- Is the first biographical account of William Frederick Denning
Part of the book series: Springer Biographies (SPRINGERBIOGS)
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Table of contents (7 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
This book provides a detailed biographical account of the industrious late nineteenth-century astronomer William Frederick Denning who, in later life, rose to be a celebrated public figure and a highly respected amateur astronomer. The book also examines Denning’s many contributions to the astronomy of his time.
As an indomitable promotor of amateur astronomy, Denning was closely involved in the formation of the short-lived, but historically pivotal, Observational Astronomy Society (OAS) in 1869. Readers will learn about the origins and the observational programs initiated by the OAS, and the author also presents a series of biographical sketches of its most industrious members. Furthermore, by examining Denning’s letters and publications, the author shows how he helped to nurture the growth of amateur astronomy, also teaching amateur observers how to make their efforts scientifically useful.
A stalwart observer and enthusiast himself, Denning was a key player in the development of meteor astronomy in England, culminating in his being invited, in 1922, to be the first President of Commission 22 (meteors, meteorites and interplanetary dust) of the newly formed International Astronomical Union. The text follows the development and rapid growth of meteor astronomy during the nineteenth century, focusing upon the key observations and important theoretical advances. In addition, it pays tribute to pioneering practitioners, who, along with Denning, set out to unravel the story and secrets of the shooting stars.
While not an openly forthright or strident figure, Denning, at the height of his career, became embroiled in two public and controversial issues. The first related to his pseudo-scientific theory of optical blurring, and his belief that large-aperture telescopes performed less efficiently than smaller-aperture telescopes when used in the study of planetary disks. The second concerned the mysterious issue of stationary meteor shower radiants—an apparent observational reduction that was completely at odds with both the standard theories of gravitational dynamics and the generally accepted notion of meteoroid stream structure. The book explores these two controversies and uses them to examine Denning’s outlook on scientific methodology.
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Martin Beech is emeritus professor of astronomy at the University of Regina (Saskatchewan, Canada). Prior to retirement, he spent 25 years teaching astronomy and astrophysics courses at the University and conducted research projects on small solar system bodies (comets, asteroids, meteors and meteorites). He has published over 200 research papers and twelve previous books on astronomy.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: William Frederick Denning
Book Subtitle: Grand Amateur and Doyen of British Meteor Astronomy
Authors: Martin Beech
Series Title: Springer Biographies
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44443-2
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-44442-5Published: 31 October 2023
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-44445-6Due: 01 December 2023
eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-44443-2Published: 30 October 2023
Series ISSN: 2365-0613
Series E-ISSN: 2365-0621
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 334
Number of Illustrations: 54 b/w illustrations, 55 illustrations in colour
Topics: History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics, Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Astronomy, Observations and Techniques