Edwin Dunkin

Edwin Dunkin

Infobox Scientist
box_width =
name = Edwin Dunkin


image_size =
caption =
birth_date = Birth date|1821|8|19|df=y
birth_place = Truro, Cornwall
death_date = Dda|1898|11|26|1821|08|19|df=y
death_place = Kidbrook, London
residence = Blackheath, London
citizenship = British
nationality = British
ethnicity = Cornish
fields = Astronomy
workplaces = Royal Greenwich Observatory
alma_mater =
doctoral_advisor =
academic_advisors =
doctoral_students =
notable_students =
known_for =
author_abbrev_bot =
author_abbrev_zoo =
influences =
influenced =
awards = FRS
religion =


footnotes =

Edwin Dunkin FRS, (19 August 1821 - 26 November 1898), astronomer, president of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Institution of Cornwall, was born in Truro, Cornwall. His father, William Dunkin, was a computer for the Nautical Almanac, and his mother (Mary Elizabeth Wise) was the daughter of a Redruth surgeon.Allan Chapman, ‘Dunkin, Edwin (1821–1898)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/57900 accessed 9 Sept 2008] ]

Dunkin was proud of his Cornish ancestry, but went with his parents to London in 1832, following his father's transfer to the Nautical Almanac's London office. He was educated at Wellington House Academy, Hampstead, and at M. Liborel's school in Guînes in the Pas de Calais.

In 1838 his father died, and he returned to London to seek work, and, on the recommendation of Davies Gilbert and Lieutenant Stratfordcite web|url=http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1899MNRAS..59..221.|title=Obituary Notices : Fellows :- Dunkin, Edwin|work=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 59, p.221|publisher=Royal Astronomical Society|accessdate=2008-09-09] was employed at the Royal Greenwich Observatory as a computer. George Airy, the astronomer royal was soon impressed by him, and in 1840 Dunkin was promoted to a post in the new magnetic and meteorological department, becoming a permanent member of the observatory's staff in 1845.

He married in 1838 Maria Hadlow of Peckham, a stockbroker's daughter. They were survived by one son.

Dunkin's meticulous accuracy and dependability led to him being given charge of a number of investigations, including the adjustment and error quantification of instruments such as Greenwich's new lunar azimuth and transit circle, and the expedition to Norway in 1851 to observe the total eclipse.

Airy also used Dunkin as a reliable "man on the spot" in various non-Greenwich activities, including pendulum experiments at Harton colliery, and the determinations of longitudes of the Brussels and Paris observatories. In 1881, on Airy's retirement, Dunkin was promoted to chief assistant, or Deputy Astronomer Royal, holding that post until he retired in 1884.

Dunkin was a highly sociable man. In 1845 he was elected to the Royal Astronomical Society, and in 1884 was elected its president. He was delighted to be elected to the RAS Dining Club in 1868, becoming its president in 1880. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1876 and later served on the Council of the Royal Society. He always maintained his Cornish connexions, naming his villa in Blackheath "Kenwyn", after the village near Truro. He was President of the Royal Institution of Cornwall in 1890 & 1891.

A prolific writer and popular communicator of astronomy, he wrote many articles for the "Leisure Hour" and other periodicals, in addition to his scientific papers. His most famous work was "The Midnight Sky", with detailed charts of the London sky, all of which he had computed himself.

Dunkin died at Brook Hospital in Kidbrook on 26th November 1898 after a short illness.

External links

[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v59/n1519/abs/059131a0.html Obituary] in "Nature"

[http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1899Obs....22...49.&data_type=PDF_HIGH&whole_paper=YES&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf Obituary] in "The Observatory".

[http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.394/viewPage/4 Edwin Dunkin] at the National Maritime Museum.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Dunkin (surname) — Dunkinis a surname. Notable persons with that surname include: Christopher Dunkin, PC (1812–1881), Canadian editor, lawyer, teacher, judge, and politician Edwin Dunkin FRS, (1821–1898), British astronomer Kenneth Dunkin, (born 1974), Democratic… …   Wikipedia

  • List of the most distant astronomical objects — This article documents the farthest known astronomical objects, and the time periods in which they were so classified. Contents 1 List of most distant objects by type 2 Most distant astronomical object recordholders 3 List of most distant objects …   Wikipedia

  • Truro Cathedral — Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Truro Cathedral from St Mary s Street …   Wikipedia

  • Royal Astronomical Society — This article is about the British Society. For the Canadian Society, see Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. The entrance to the Royal Astronomical Society at Burlington House. The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society that… …   Wikipedia

  • List of people from or associated with Cornwall — Note: This list includes persons born in Cornwall in the United Kingdom and also persons of long term residence or with strong connections with Cornwall. Entertainment Theatre, films and TV* Jenny Agutter, actress * Morwenna Banks, actress *… …   Wikipedia

  • Olana State Historic Site — Frederic E. Church House (Olana) U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. National Historic Landmark …   Wikipedia

  • List of World War II aces from the United States — This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from United States. For other countries see List of World War II aces by country A *Robert Wilson Abernathy (USAAF) *Fred F. Ackerman *Burnell W. Adams *Charles E. Adams Jr. *Fletcher E. Adams… …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas Cole House — U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. National Historic Landmark …   Wikipedia

  • Roxbury Latin School — Infobox Private School name = The Roxbury Latin School | motto = Mortui Vivos Docent (The Dead Teach the Living) established = 1645 type = Private religion = None head name = Headmaster head = Kerry P. Brennan city = West Roxbury state = MA… …   Wikipedia

  • Oxford period poetry anthologies — These are Oxford poetry anthologies of English poetry, which select from a given period. See also The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse. Contents 1 New Oxford Book of Seventeenth Century Verse (1991) 2 New Oxford Book of Eighteenth… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

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