Fearon Fallows

Fearon Fallows

Fearon Fallows (4 July 1789 – 25 July 1831) was an English astronomer.

Life

He was born in Cockermouth in Cumbria, the son of John Fallows, a weaver, and his wife Rebecca. Due in some part to the dedication of his father and the generosity of the townspeople, the scholarly Fearon was given the funds to attend St John's College, Cambridge, where he studied mathematics, coming third in his year when he graduated in 1813.He obtained his Master of Arts in 1816 and went on to teach mathematics at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He also became a Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge and an ordained priest in the Church of England. On 29 February 1820 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and on 8 June 1820 he was granted a fellowship of the Royal Society. One of his proposers for his fellowship to the Royal Society was John Herschel [ [http://royalsociety.org/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqSearch=RefNo='EC/1820/06'&dsqCmd=Show.tcl] Royal Society Archives] (son of William Herschel) whom he met at St John's College, Cambridge. Later in that year he was appointed by the Admiralty to be the astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope, which would involve overseeing the building of an observatory in what was then a British colony.Before travelling to South Africa, he married Mary Anne Hervey, on 1 January, 1821.Between 1821 and 1829 he worked to site, plan and develop the observatory, which was the first astronomical observatory in the southern hemisphere. He also served the Church of England in his time there.He, and all the observatory staff, caught scarlet fever in 1830 and, still Director of the observatory, he died of scarlet fever in Simon's Town, South Africa in 1831 at the age of forty-three.

Astronomical work

He was the astronomer to King George IV, [ [http://www.visitcumbria.com/artists.htm] VisitCumbria] and catalogued over 300 stars from his observatory in South Africa. [ [http://www.cockermouth.org.uk/history/fearonfallows.htm] Cockermouth History] When he first arrived, he only had two portable instruments and a clock, perhaps a Harrison clock. The instruments were a Circle and a Transit Instrument. When the observatory was built, he used a Jones Mural Circle and a Dolland Transit Circle. The Royal Society published his 'Catalogue of 273 Stars' in 1824.

Obituaries

* [http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1832MNRAS...2...63. Monthly Notices of the RAS]

References

External links

* [http://www.fallows.com/fearon_fallows.htm Stuart Atkinson's Article on Fallows]
* [http://www.saao.ac.za/assa/html/his-astr-fallows_f.html Astronomical Society of South Africa biography]
* [http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101009127/ Oxford Biography]
* [http://royalsociety.org/ The Royal Society]
* [http://www.ras.org.uk/ Royal Astronomical Society]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Fallows — is a surname, and may refer to:* Fearon Fallows (1789 1831), English astronomer * James Fallows (born 1949), American print and radio journalist * Samuel Fallows (1835 1922), American clergymanee also* Fallow (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • Fallows — This most interesting surname is of Anglo Saxon origin, and is a topographical name for a dweller by the newly cultivated land or fallow land, from the Olde English pre 7th Century word fealh , Middle English falwe , fallow. This word was used… …   Surnames reference

  • Fallow — This most interesting surname is of Anglo Saxon origin, and is a topographical name for a dweller by the newly cultivated land or fallow land, from the Olde English pre 7th Century word fealh , Middle English falwe , fallow. This word was used… …   Surnames reference

  • Fallowes — This most interesting surname is of Anglo Saxon origin, and is a topographical name for a dweller by the newly cultivated land or fallow land, from the Olde English pre 7th Century word fealh , Middle English falwe , fallow. This word was used… …   Surnames reference

  • St John's College, Cambridge — Cambridge College Infobox name = St John s College infobox colour = #000066 text colour = link colour = #FFCD00 colours = full name = The College of Saint John the Evangelist of the University of Cambridge latin name = latin motto = Souvent me… …   Wikipedia

  • List of astronomers — Famous astronomers and astrophysicists include: NOTOC A*Marc Aaronson (USA, 1950 ndash; 1987) *George Ogden Abell (USA, 1927 ndash; 1983) *Antonio Abetti (Italy, 1846 ndash; 1928) *Giorgio Abetti (Italy, 1882 ndash; 1982) *Charles Greeley Abbot… …   Wikipedia

  • Cockermouth — Coordinates: 54°39′41″N 3°21′43″W /  …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”