George Alcock

Lore & Background

George Alcock's interest in astronomy was sparked by the solar eclipse of 8 April 1921. He joined the Meteor Section of the British Astronomical Association on 27 March 1935 while training to be a teacher, and balanced his astronomical pursuits with a full-time teaching career. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force, saw action in North Africa and Italy, and was court-martialed three times. In 1953 he began searching for comets, and in 1955 for novae. His method relied on memorizing star patterns to spot any intruder. He discovered his first comet, C/1959 Q1, in 1959—the first comet discovered in Britain since 1894—followed by C/1959 Q2 five days later. He found two more comets in 1963 and 1965, and his fifth and final comet in 1983: C/1983 H1 (IRAS-Araki-Alcock). His first nova was Delphini 1967 (HR Delphini), which had an unusual light-curve, followed by LV Vul in 1968 and V368 Sct in 1970. In 1991 he discovered the nova V838 Her. Alcock married Mary Green on 7 June 1941; they moved to the village of Farcet in 1955 to a house called Antares, where he made all his discoveries. Mary died on 25 October 1991; the couple had no children.

Reader's Guide

George Alcock's significance lies in his extraordinary visual memory and dedication as an amateur astronomer, achieving discoveries that professional observatories often missed. He discovered five comets and five novae entirely by memorizing star patterns and visually scanning the sky. His first comet in 1959 ended a 65-year drought for British comet discoveries. His discoveries contributed to the study of variable stars and cometary orbits, with his first nova, HR Delphini, noted for its unusual light-curve. Alcock received the Jackson-Gwilt Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1963, an MBE in 1979, and the International Amateur Achievement Award in 1981. Asteroid 3174 Alcock is named after him. A plaque in Peterborough Cathedral commemorates his life. His legacy demonstrates the continued value of visual observation in an era of increasing automation, and his biography, 'Under An English Heaven - The Life of George Alcock', was published in 1996.

Did You Know?

• He was court-martialed three times while serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II.
• He discovered five comets and five novae from his home in Farcet, called Antares.