John Ellard Gore
Irish amateur astronomer, variable star discoverer, and founding BAA member.
John Ellard Gore (1 June 1845 – 18 July 1910) was an Irish amateur astronomer who wrote many books and helped found the British Astronomical Association. He is best known for spotting several variable stars, such as W Cygni in 1884, U Orionis in 1885, and independently discovering Nova Persei. In 2009, the International Astronomical Union named a lunar impact crater after him.
Gore was born in Athlone, County Westmeath, the eldest of four brothers and one sister. His father was the Venerable John Ribton Gore, and his mother was Frances Brabazon Ellard. The family traced back to Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, and his great-grandfather was Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet. He attended Trinity College and earned a diploma in civil engineering in 1865.
For over two years, Gore worked as a railway engineer in Ireland. He then took a job as an assistant engineer with the Indian Public Works Department on the Sirhind Canal project. In 1877, he returned to Ireland on a two-year leave, living with his father in Ballysadare, County Sligo. After eleven years of service, he retired with a pension in 1879. Following his father’s death in 1894, he moved to Dublin, where he spent the rest of his life focused on astronomy.
Gore had no formal training in astronomy, but began studying the sky while in India. There he used only his naked eyes, binoculars, a three-inch telescope, and a ten-centimeter telescope on an equatorial mount. His first book, *Southern Stellar Objects for Small Telescopes*, was published in India in 1877. Back in Ireland, he used a three-inch telescope and binoculars, setting up an observatory in Sligo and later at 3 Northumberland Street, Dublin. His main work was on double and variable stars, and he published catalogues of both. He died on 18 July 1910 after being struck by a horse and car while crossing Grafton Street in Dublin.
Gore’s books include *Planetary and Stellar Studies* (1888), *Astronomical Lessons* (1890), *Star Groups* (1891), *The Visible Universe* (1893), *An Astronomical Glossary* (1893), *The Worlds of Space* (1894), *Studies in Astronomy* (1904), *Astronomical Essays* (1907), and *Astronomical Curiosities* (1909). The lunar crater named after him sits on the near side near the northern pole.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1 June 1845
- Birth Place
- Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland
- Death Date
- 18 July 1910 · 1845 · 6 · 1
- Death Place
- Grafton Street, Dublin, Ireland
- Field
- Astronomy
- Education
- Trinity College, Dublin
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Gore was born in Athlone, County Westmeath, in 1845, the eldest son of the Venerable John Ribton Gore and Frances Brabazon Ellard. He had three brothers and one sister. The Gore family descended from Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, and his great grandfather was Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet. He studied at Trinity College and received a diploma in Civil Engineering in 1865. He worked as a railway engineer in Ireland for over two years before being appointed as an assistant engineer with the Indian Public Works Department on the Sirhind Canal project. In 1877 he returned to Ireland on two years leave of absence and lived in Ballysadare County Sligo with his father. In 1879, he retired after 11 years of service with a pension and after the death of his father in 1894, moved to Dublin where he spent the rest of his life devoted to astronomy.
Reader's Guide
Gore had no formal training in astronomy, and began to study the sky while working in India. While there, he relied on his naked eyes, binoculars, a three-inch telescope and a ten centimeter telescope on an equatorial mount. His first book 'Southern Stellar Objects for Small Telescopes' was published in India in 1877. On his return to Ireland in 1877, he used a three-inch telescope and binoculars. He set up an observatory in Sligo, and later set up at 3 Northumberland Street, Dublin. His greatest contribution was his studies of double and variable stars, and he published catalogues of variables and binary stars. Gore died on 18 July 1910 when struck by a horse and car whilst crossing Grafton St., Dublin. In 2009, the IAU named a lunar impact crater located on the lunar near side near the northern pole after Gore.
Did You Know?
- Gore discovered the variable star W Cygni in 1884.
- He independently discovered Nova Persei.
- He was a founding member of the British Astronomical Association.
- A lunar impact crater near the northern pole was named after Gore in 2009.
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