James Carpenter
Encyclopedia
James Carpenter was a British
astronomer
at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich
.
During the 1860s he performed the first observations of stellar spectra
at the observatory, under the direction of the Astronomer Royal
George Airy
. In 1861–62 he was one of three astronomers to successfully observe the dark underside of the rings of Saturn
, the other two astronomers being William Wray and Otto Struve
.
In 1871, the engineer James Nasmyth partnered with James Carpenter to produce a book about the Moon
titled, The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite. This work was illustrated by photographs of plaster models representing the lunar surface, with the illumination from various angles. The result was more realistic images of the lunar surface than could be achieved by telescope photography during that period. The authors were proponents for a volcanic origin of the craters, a theory that was later proved incorrect.
The crater Carpenter
on the Moon
is jointly named after him and Edwin Francis Carpenter
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
.
During the 1860s he performed the first observations of stellar spectra
Electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The "electromagnetic spectrum" of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object....
at the observatory, under the direction of the Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the second is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834....
George Airy
George Biddell Airy
Sir George Biddell Airy PRS KCB was an English mathematician and astronomer, Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881...
. In 1861–62 he was one of three astronomers to successfully observe the dark underside of the rings of Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
, the other two astronomers being William Wray and Otto Struve
Otto Struve
Otto Struve was a Russian astronomer. In Russian, his name is sometimes given as Otto Lyudvigovich Struve ; however, he spent most of his life and his entire scientific career in the United States...
.
In 1871, the engineer James Nasmyth partnered with James Carpenter to produce a book about the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
titled, The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite. This work was illustrated by photographs of plaster models representing the lunar surface, with the illumination from various angles. The result was more realistic images of the lunar surface than could be achieved by telescope photography during that period. The authors were proponents for a volcanic origin of the craters, a theory that was later proved incorrect.
The crater Carpenter
Carpenter (crater)
Carpenter is a lunar impact crater in the northern part of the Moon, relatively close to the limb. At this position the crater is foreshortened and appears oval in shape. It is, however, very nearly circular in outline. The outer rampart to the south is adjoined to the old crater Anaximander, and...
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is jointly named after him and Edwin Francis Carpenter
Edwin Francis Carpenter
Edwin Francis Carpenter was an American astronomer.He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and received his A.B. and A.M. from Harvard University. In 1925 he was awarded a Ph.D. from University of California at Berkeley. He became an instructor at the University of Arizona, and by 1936 he was heading...
.