Robert Evans (astronomer)

Lore & Background

Evans was born on 20 February 1937 in Sydney, Australia, and graduated from the University of Sydney majoring in philosophy and modern history. He trained to become a Methodist minister and was ordained by the New South Wales Conference in 1967, serving as a circuit minister until his retirement in 1998. He wrote a number of books on the history of evangelism. His supernova hunting began around 1955, but his first adequate instrument, a 10-inch Newtonian telescope, was assembled only around 1968. He made his first official supernova discovery in 1981 and found nine more before using larger telescopes. While living in Coonabarabran, New South Wales, he used his own 16-inch telescope. From early 1995 to mid-1997 he had limited access to the Siding Spring 40-inch Telescope, resulting in about 10,000 galaxy observations, another three visual supernovae discoveries, and an additional four supernovae spotted on photographs. By 2001 he had made 33 visual discoveries, and by the end of 2005 the total had increased to 40 visual supernova discoveries plus one comet. In 2005, Evans relied almost exclusively on his 31 cm Dobsonian, reporting 6,814 galaxy observations in 107 hours and 30 minutes over 77 nights, finding four supernovae (three already discovered by others, the fourth being SN 2005df, his 40th visual discovery). He was able to observe 50 galaxies an hour when scattered around the sky, and 120 galaxies an hour in Virgo. Supernova 1983N, spotted by Evans in 1983 in the galaxy M83 long before it reached its peak, turned out to be the first discovery of a new type of supernova, later named Type Ib. In 2005, Evans resigned from being chairman of the AAVSO Supernovae Search Committee after serving for two decades. He lived in Hazelbrook, Australia, and continued supernova hunting using a 12-inch reflecting telescope from his back porch.

Reader's Guide

Evans's significance lies in his record for visual discoveries of supernovae (42), a feat achieved through extraordinary dedication and skill. His work demonstrated that an amateur astronomer with modest equipment could compete with professional observatories, especially before automated telescopes became common in the 1990s. He contributed to the discovery of a new supernova type (Type Ib) with SN 1983N. His method of observing up to 120 galaxies per hour in Virgo set a benchmark for visual efficiency. His legacy includes inspiring other amateurs and being featured in Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything', which quotes his reflection on the timing of light reaching Earth. He received numerous awards, including the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (1985), the Berenice and Arthur Page Award (1986), the Medal of the Order of Australia (1988), and the McNiven Medal (1996). He was an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and a member of the International Astronomical Union and the Astronomical Society of Australia.

Did You Know?

• Evans co-discovered comet C/1996 J1 (Evans–Drinkwater) on 10 May 1997.
• He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1988 for contributions to science.

The Pursuit of the Night Sky

For an amateur astronomer, the motivation is rarely a paycheck or a doctoral thesis. The drive comes from a genuine fascination with what fills the darkness above — the Moon's craters, the slow drift of planets, the faint smudge of a distant galaxy, the brief streak of a meteor. Observers may specialize in a single category of target, whether that means tracking variable stars, watching for occultations as the Moon or an asteroid passes in front of a star, or scanning for transient events like comets and supernovae in other galaxies. The work is done primarily at night, when most objects are visible, though some turn their instruments toward the Sun during the day to study solar phenomena and eclipses. The goal is threefold: to satisfy personal curiosity, to educate others, and to make genuine contributions to the scientific record. Unlike professional astronomers, these observers do not earn their livelihood from the field and typically lack advanced academic credentials in astrophysics, yet their sustained attention to the sky has produced discoveries that no professional survey would have caught.

Instruments and Methods of Observation

The toolkit of an amateur astronomer ranges from the simplest to the surprisingly sophisticated. A pair of binoculars, with their wider field of view and portability, remains a favorite for sweeping the Milky Way or tracking the Moon. Dedicated observers graduate to portable telescopes or fixed instruments in private and club observatories, using setting circles or fully automated GOTO mounts to locate targets by celestial coordinates. Some build their own telescopes from scratch, treating the construction itself as the primary hobby. For those venturing beyond visible light, infrared filters on conventional scopes or home-built radio telescopes open new windows; others borrow decommissioned research instruments like the One-Mile Telescope. Astrophotography has surged in popularity as digital cameras, DSLRs, and purpose-built CCD and CMOS sensors have made capturing the night sky far more accessible. Smartphone night-mode settings, which extend exposure time to gather more light, even allow casual observers to document what they see.

A Tradition Spanning Millennia

Long before the word astronomy existed, people in Babylon, Chaldea, and ancient Egypt watched the heavens with nothing but their eyes and simple tools. They tracked celestial bodies to build calendars, predicted eclipse dates, and read atmospheric patterns to guide agricultural decisions. That ancient practice of looking up and recording what was seen is the direct ancestor of today's amateur astronomy. The field remained the province of wealthy Grand Amateurs for centuries, but the mid-nineteenth century saw it popularize, and the post-World War II era brought affordable equipment that opened the sky to millions. A clear professional-amateur divide emerged in the twentieth century, yet the two communities continue to overlap: experienced amateurs frequently assist and work alongside professionals. The tradition endures not as a relic but as a living, evolving practice in which a backyard observer with a modest scope can still contribute data that feeds into the broader scientific conversation.

Beyond the Eyepiece: Community and Contribution

Amateur astronomy is rarely a solitary endeavor. Observers commonly join astronomical societies that offer guidance on finding targets, share educational resources, and promote the science to the general public. One visible expression of this community spirit is sidewalk astronomy, where telescopes are set up in public spaces for anyone to peer through the eyepiece. These events do double duty: they spark curiosity about the cosmos and draw attention to the growing problem of light pollution, which washes out natural darkness and makes faint objects increasingly hard to see. On the research side, amateur astronomers participate in citizen science by monitoring variable and double stars, counting sunspots, recording lunar and asteroidal occultations, and reporting transient events such as comets, galactic novae, and supernovae. Their observations, gathered over years of patient nightly sessions, fill gaps that large professional surveys cannot address. In this way, a hobbyist with a portable scope in a suburban backyard becomes a genuine node in the global network of astronomical data collection.

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