William Frederick Denning: Grand Amateur and Doyen of British Meteor Astronomy (Springer Biographies)

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. Prologue Contents 1 A Man of Parts Bibliography 2 In Quest of Meteors 2.1 The Stationary Radiant Debate 2.1.1 The Epsilon Arietids: A Case Study 2.2 The Observer at Work 2.2.1 The Observations of Shooting Stars Notebook 2.2.2 Fireballs Galore 2.3 Correspondence 2.4 Meteor Physics 2.5 Meteorites Bibliography 3 The Heavens Provide 3.1 Telescopes: Big Versus Small 3.2 Comets 3.3 The Planets 3.3.1 Jupiter and Its Red Spot 3.3.2 Saturn and Its White Spots 3.4 Novae and Nebulae 3.5 Wasps, Birds, and Natural History 3.6 Meteorology Bibliography 4 The Amateur Astronomer 4.1 The Rise of the Professionals 4.2 The Professional Amateur 4.3 In Decline No More 4.4 On Work and Longevity Bibliography 5 The Rise of Meteor Astronomy (1830–1930) 5.1 A Very Brief History of Meteors 5.2 Two-Station Observations 5.3 The 1833 Leonids and After 5.3.1 A Humbling Prediction 5.4 Rates and Variations 5.5 Cosmic Streams 5.6 Radiants Galore 5.7 The Luminous Meteors Committee 5.8 Meteor Spectroscopy 5.8.1 First Application 5.8.2 Further Refinements 5.8.3 Later Developments 5.8.4 Meteor Trains 5.9 The BAA Meteor Section 5.10 The Development of Instrumental Techniques 5.10.1 First Instruments 5.10.2 Photography 5.10.3 Radar 5.10.4 Taming the Hyperbolic Hare 5.11 Atmospheric Interactions 5.12 Chapter Summary Bibliography 6 The Astronomical Register 6.1 Rise of the Register 6.2 The Subscribers 6.3 The Rise of the Amateur 6.4 For Sale and Wanted 6.4.1 Subscriber Advertisments 6.4.2 The Telescopes 6.4.3 Commercial Advertisers 6.4.4 The Liverpool Astronomical Society 6.5 Denning’s Contributions to the Register 6.6 Chapter Summary Bibliography 7 The Observing Astronomical Society Bibliography Epilogue Bibliography Index