John Birmingham (astronomer)
Encyclopedia
John Birmingham was an Irish astronomer
, amateur geologist
, polymath
and poet. He spent six or seven years travelling widely in Europe
where he became proficient in several languages. In 1866 he discovered the recurrent nova
T Coronae Borealis
. He studied and wrote articles on planets, meteor showers and sunspots.
, County Galway
and was educated at St. Jarlath's College
in Tuam
. Between 1844 and 1854 he spent several years travelling through Europe, and is thought to have studied in Berlin. In 1846 and 1847 he was active in Famine relief around Tuam. In 1852 he visited Rome. When he returned home in 1854 he built up a network of newspapers and magazines to which he started contributing articles on scientific and other matters. He first attracted attention with his articles on sedimentary rocks in the west of Ireland which he contributed to the Journal of the Geological Society of Dublin.
He inherited part of the Millbrook estate, which was scattered across Galway and Mayo, in 1865, and settled at Millbrook House with two elderly aunts and a maternal uncle, Arthur Bell, who assisted him in his research. He became known as a kindly landlord
but also as a scholar and intellectual. From 1858 He started contributing notes on astronomy to local newspapers. At Millbrook he built what the Tuam Herald
called a large wooden house with a sliding roof, which formed his first observatory. On 12 May 1866 he discovered the variable star T Coronae in the constellation Corona Borealis
. This success of this find led him to acquire a powerful new telescope from Thomas Cooke of York (which cost £120), fitted with a lens made by Thomas Grubb
of Dublin.
presented Birmingham with a gold medal for his valuable contributions to the society’s transactions.
Birmingham Lunar Crater
is located near the northern limb of the Moon
, and so is viewed from the Earth
at a low angle. All that survives of the original formation is an irregular perimeter of low, indented ridges surrounding the lava-resurfaced interior. The inner floor is marked by several tiny craterlets, and the surface is unusually rough for a walled plain. The low angle of illumination allows fine details of this boulder-strewn field to be seen more clearly. The Birmingham formation lies just to the north of the Mare Frigoris
, and to the east of the W. Bond walled-plain.
and revised and extended Schjellerup
's Catalogue of Red Stars. Six hundred and fifty eight of these objects were included.
He presented this work to the Royal Irish Academy
in 1876 and was awarded the Cunningham Medal. In 1881 he discovered a deep red star in Cygnus constellation
. This star is named after him. Other subjects on which he published articles included meteor showers, the transit of Venus
and sunspots. He had correspondence with other leading astronomers.
, which is on display at the Milltown community museum .
In his lifetime however he was well known and well respected, Robert Ball
made reference to Birmingham's Observatory in one of his books and John, like William E Wilson had numerous contacts at Dunsink Observatory
.
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...
, amateur geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
, polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
and poet. He spent six or seven years travelling widely in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
where he became proficient in several languages. In 1866 he discovered the recurrent nova
Nova
A nova is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion in a star caused by the accretion of hydrogen on to the surface of a white dwarf star, which ignites and starts nuclear fusion in a runaway manner...
T Coronae Borealis
T Coronae Borealis
T Coronae Borealis , informally nicknamed the Blaze Star, is a recurring nova in the constellation Corona Borealis. It normally has a magnitude of about 10, which is near the limit of typical binoculars. It has been seen to outburst twice, reaching magnitude 2.0 on May 12, 1866 and magnitude 3.0...
. He studied and wrote articles on planets, meteor showers and sunspots.
Early years
He was born and grew up on the Millbrook Estate outside MilltownMilltown, County Galway
Milltown is a small village in County Galway, Ireland. It is situated on the banks of the River Clare, 47 km from Galway City, 11 km from Tuam on the N17 road to Sligo.-Transport:...
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
and was educated at St. Jarlath's College
St. Jarlath's College
St. Jarlath's College is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland. It is an amalgamation of the former St. Jarlath's College and St...
in Tuam
Tuam
Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...
. Between 1844 and 1854 he spent several years travelling through Europe, and is thought to have studied in Berlin. In 1846 and 1847 he was active in Famine relief around Tuam. In 1852 he visited Rome. When he returned home in 1854 he built up a network of newspapers and magazines to which he started contributing articles on scientific and other matters. He first attracted attention with his articles on sedimentary rocks in the west of Ireland which he contributed to the Journal of the Geological Society of Dublin.
He inherited part of the Millbrook estate, which was scattered across Galway and Mayo, in 1865, and settled at Millbrook House with two elderly aunts and a maternal uncle, Arthur Bell, who assisted him in his research. He became known as a kindly landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
but also as a scholar and intellectual. From 1858 He started contributing notes on astronomy to local newspapers. At Millbrook he built what the Tuam Herald
Tuam Herald
The Tuam Herald is a weekly Irish newspaper, founded in 1837 by Richard Kelly, which serves the town of Tuam and County Galway. It has a circulation of about 10,000 copies.Jim Carney...
called a large wooden house with a sliding roof, which formed his first observatory. On 12 May 1866 he discovered the variable star T Coronae in the constellation Corona Borealis
Corona Borealis
Corona Borealis is a small constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for "northern crown", a name inspired by its shape; its main stars form a semicircular arc. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy and remains one of the 88 modern...
. This success of this find led him to acquire a powerful new telescope from Thomas Cooke of York (which cost £120), fitted with a lens made by Thomas Grubb
Thomas Grubb
Thomas Grubb was an Irish optician and founder of the Grubb Telescope Company.He was born probably near Portlaw, County Waterford, Ireland, the son of William and Eleanor Grubb....
of Dublin.
Birmingham Lunar Crater
In 1866, he wrote an essay about the disappearance of a crater on the surface of the moon and the subsequent appearance of a vast luminous cloud in its place. In its review of the essay, the Irish Times commented: “We know of no paper which contains an equal amount of learning in so brief a space, in so charming a style and manner, and stamps him as a man of learning, eloquence and refined taste combined with genius.” In 1883, the Royal Irish AcademyRoyal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
presented Birmingham with a gold medal for his valuable contributions to the society’s transactions.
Birmingham Lunar Crater
Birmingham (crater)
Birmingham is the surviving remnant of a lunar crater. It is named after the astronomer John Birmingham ....
is located near the northern limb of 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...
, and so is viewed from the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
at a low angle. All that survives of the original formation is an irregular perimeter of low, indented ridges surrounding the lava-resurfaced interior. The inner floor is marked by several tiny craterlets, and the surface is unusually rough for a walled plain. The low angle of illumination allows fine details of this boulder-strewn field to be seen more clearly. The Birmingham formation lies just to the north of the Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris is a lunar mare located just north of Mare Imbrium, and stretches east to north of Mare Serenitatis. The mare is in the outer rings of the Procellarum basin...
, and to the east of the W. Bond walled-plain.
Study of red stars
John Birmingham, using a 4.5 inches (114.3 mm) Cooke refractor, made a special study of red starsStellar classification
In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. The spectral class of a star is a designated class of a star describing the ionization of its chromosphere, what atomic excitations are most prominent in the light, giving an objective measure...
and revised and extended Schjellerup
Hans Schjellerup
Hans Carl Frederik Christian Schjellerup was a Danish astronomer.He was born at Odense, the son of a jeweller. Initially he was apprenticed as a watch maker, but in 1848 he passed the entrance exam for the Polytechnic School of Copenhagen...
's Catalogue of Red Stars. Six hundred and fifty eight of these objects were included.
He presented this work to the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
in 1876 and was awarded the Cunningham Medal. In 1881 he discovered a deep red star in Cygnus constellation
Cygnus (constellation)
Cygnus is a northern constellation lying on the plane of the Milky Way. Its name is the Latinized Hellenic word for swan. One of the most recognizable constellations of the northern summer and autumn, it features a prominent asterism known as the Northern Cross...
. This star is named after him. Other subjects on which he published articles included meteor showers, the transit of Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
and sunspots. He had correspondence with other leading astronomers.
Epilogue
John Birmingham was an only child. He never married but he was reputed to have fathered a daughter. He died at the Millbrook Estate in 1884 and his house was left to ruin. All that remains of his possessions is his telescopeTelescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
, which is on display at the Milltown community museum .
In his lifetime however he was well known and well respected, Robert Ball
Robert Stawell Ball
Sir Robert Stawell Ball was an Irish astronomer. He worked for Lord Rosse from 1865 to 1867. In 1867 he became Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Royal College of Science in Dublin. In 1874 Ball was appointed Royal Astronomer of Ireland and Andrews Professor of Astronomy in the University...
made reference to Birmingham's Observatory in one of his books and John, like William E Wilson had numerous contacts at Dunsink Observatory
Dunsink Observatory
The Dunsink Observatory is an astronomical observatory established in 1785 in the townland of Dunsink near the city of Dublin, Ireland.Its most famous director was William Rowan Hamilton, who, amongst other things, discovered quaternions, the first non-commutative algebra, while strolling from the...
.
External links
- National Astronomy Meeting & UK Solar Physics Meeting - History of Astronomy in Dublin
- Tuam family histories
- Galway astronomy club - Galway Astronomy Festival Astronomy in Galway