Percy B. Molesworth
Encyclopedia
Percy Braybrooke Molesworth (April 2, 1867, Colombo
– December 25, 1908) was a Major in the corps of Royal Engineers
and an amateur astronomer
.
, and was educated at Winchester College
. He obtained his commission in the Corps of Royal Engineers in 1886 and was stationed at Fort Camden until 1891. He then was ordered to Hong Kong
and three years later moved to Trincomalee
on Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka
). He retired in 1906 intending to pursue astronomy full-time at his estate at Trincomalee, but he died of dysentery
before he could realize his plans.
He was a founding member of the British Astronomical Association
in 1890 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
in 1898.
Molesworth was a talented observer creating first-class drawings of Mars
and Jupiter
in the years 1903 to 1905. He is credited with discovering a "great disturbance" in the southern bands of Jupiter on February 28, 1901. Known as the "South Tropical Disturbance" it lasted for close to forty years.
A crater
on Mars was named in his honour.
The Reflector Telescope that he used was gifted to the University of Colombo
many years after his death. It was used till 1988, when bandits looted the telescopes metallic parts and sold them for scrap. It hasn't been used since, and can still be seen at the Astronomy dome of the University at Reid Avenue, Colombo 7.
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
– December 25, 1908) was a Major in the corps of Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and an amateur 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...
.
Life and work
Molesworth was the youngest son of Sir Guildford MolesworthGuildford Molesworth
Sir Guildford Lindsey Molesworth, KCIE was the first general manager of Ceylon Railways.He was a Past President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the University of Calcutta....
, and was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
. He obtained his commission in the Corps of Royal Engineers in 1886 and was stationed at Fort Camden until 1891. He then was ordered to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and three years later moved to Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
on Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
). He retired in 1906 intending to pursue astronomy full-time at his estate at Trincomalee, but he died of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
before he could realize his plans.
He was a founding member of the British Astronomical Association
British Astronomical Association
The British Astronomical Association is the senior national association of amateur astronomers in the UK.-Function:It encourages observational astronomy by non-professionals in areas which cannot be covered by professional observatories...
in 1890 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
in 1898.
Molesworth was a talented observer creating first-class drawings of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
in the years 1903 to 1905. He is credited with discovering a "great disturbance" in the southern bands of Jupiter on February 28, 1901. Known as the "South Tropical Disturbance" it lasted for close to forty years.
A crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
on Mars was named in his honour.
The Reflector Telescope that he used was gifted to the University of Colombo
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
many years after his death. It was used till 1988, when bandits looted the telescopes metallic parts and sold them for scrap. It hasn't been used since, and can still be seen at the Astronomy dome of the University at Reid Avenue, Colombo 7.