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John Flamsteed

First Astronomer Royal and meticulous star cataloguer

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John Flamsteed

via Wikipedia: Star · see source

John Flamsteed was the first English Astronomer Royal, appointed by royal warrant on 4 March 1675.[1] He produced a star catalogue of 2,935 stars, published posthumously in 1725, which was the first major star catalogue made with a telescope.[2][3] The numerical Flamsteed designations still used for stars were added not by Flamsteed but by Lalande in a 1783 French edition.[2]

Key facts and history

He was educated at Derby School, leaving in May 1662 with a solid knowledge of Latin.[4] He was ordained a deacon before being invited to London by his patron Jonas Moore.[5] He held that office until his death in 1719 and is buried at Burstow church.[6] His widow Margaret published his Historia Coelestis Britannica posthumously in 1725 and his Atlas Coelestis in 1729.[3]

Stephen Flamsteed and his first wife Mary Spadman had only one son, John, who was born in Denby, Derbyshire, England.[4] Chronic ill health caused a delay of several years before Flamsteed could begin his studies at Jesus College, Cambridge, as recommended by the Master of Derby School.[4] After being captivated by Johannes de Sacrobosco's De sphaera mundi in July 1662, Flamsteed witnessed his initial partial solar eclipse on 12 September of that same year.[4] At nineteen, in August 1665, Flamsteed composed his initial astronomical work, Mathematical Essays, which he presented to his acquaintance Litchford.[7]

What the research sources say

The Ridpath account states that Flamsteed numbers were assigned by Lalande in a 1783 French almanac, not by Flamsteed himself.[2] The same source notes that the unofficial 1712 edition of Flamsteed's catalogue, produced by Halley at Newton's prompting, contained numbers but in a different order than the modern Flamsteed numbers.[2] Powell's narrative also states that Flamsteed's widow left directions and twenty-five pounds for a marble monument to be placed in Burstow's chancel, but this monument was never erected.[8][9]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "John Flamsteed" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Flamsteed's Stars: New Perspectives on the Life and Work of the First Astronomer Royal, 1646–1719", The Boydell Press, 1997, p. 60; Howse, "Greenwich Time and Longitude", Philip Wilson, 1997, p. 44–45 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Ridpath, "Flamsteed numbers – where they really came from", Ian Ridpath's Star Tales. facts only, no text reused. ianridpath.com
  3. Wikipedia, "John Flamsteed" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ridpath, "Flamsteed numbers – where they really came from", Ian Ridpath's Star Tales (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "John Flamsteed" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Birks, John L. (1999) John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal. London, Avon Books. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "John Flamsteed" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Birks, "John Flamsteed: The First Astronomer Royal at Greenwich", Avon Books, 1999, p. 32–33 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "John Flamsteed" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3. Parishes: Burstow", Victoria County History of Surrey, 1911, p. 176–182 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "John Flamsteed" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Birks, John L. (1999) John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal. London, Avon Books.; ; Birks, John L. (1999) John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal. London, Avon Books. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Powell, "The Grave of John Flamsteed", Greenwich.co.uk Blogs, 16 January 2015. facts only, no text reused. blogs.greenwich.co.uk
  9. Wikipedia, "John Flamsteed" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Powell, "The Grave of John Flamsteed", Greenwich.co.uk Blogs, 16 January 2015 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article John Flamsteed (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In which place was John Flamsteed born?

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Not quite. The answer is Denby, Derbyshire, England.

2. In what year was John Flamsteed born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1646.

3. In what year did John Flamsteed die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1719.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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