BAA Lunar Section
Dedicated to amateur research and observation of the Moon
History
of the BAA Lunar Section
Notes
by Peter Grego
Based
on various references, including material provided by Richard Baum,
and the Memoirs of the BAA, Vol. 42, Part 1, 1989 December, and
Memoirs of the BAA, Vol. 42, Part 2, 1990 December.
Founded in 1891, the BAA Lunar Section is as old as the British Astronomical Association itself. Its roots actually go back further in time to the short-lived but highly energetic Selenographical Society (1878-82), many of whose members were leading lights in British lunar research during the late Victorian and Edwardian era.
BAA
Lunar Section Directors (plus dates of office)
Thomas
Gwyn Empy Elger (1891-1896)
Walter
Goodacre (1896-1938)
T
L MacDonald (1938-1946)
Hugh
Percival Wilkins (1946-1956)
Ewen
A Whitaker (1956-1958)
Gilbert
Fielder (1958-1962)
Brian
Warner (1962-1964)
Patrick
Alfred Moore (1964-1968)
Ron
C Maddison (1968-1971)
Philip
A Ringsdore (acting, 1971)
Patrick
Alfred Moore (1971-1976)
Harry
S Ford (1976-1978)
Geoff
W Amery (1978-1987)
Peter
W Foley (1988-1992)
Jeremy
Cook (1992-1995)
Alan
Wells (1995-2009)
Bill
Leatherbarrow (current)
BAA Lunar Section
Topographical Sub-section Directors (a selection of past and present officers)
Rob Moseley
Andrew Johnson
Colin Ebdon
Peter Grego
Biographical
notes
Thomas
Gwyn Empy Elger (1836-1897)
Director:
1891-1896
Thomas
Gwyn Empy Elger was an English lunar mapper and the first director
of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association (BAA).
He was born in Bedford, where the family had been established for
several generations. His father Thomas Gwyn Elger (1794–April 4,
1841) was an architect and builder. Grandfather, father and son
engaged in the town politics, and all held the post of mayor.
He
studied at University College London and adopted the profession of a
civil engineer. He was engaged in several important works, including
the Metropolitan Railway and the Severn Valley Railway. His surveys
for railway construction in Holstein were put to a stop by the war
with Prussia and Austria in 1864.
Soon
afterwards he relinquished the active pursuit of his profession and
devoted himself to scientific studies. He had developed a strong
taste for astronomy already at an early age and erected his first
observatory in Bedford. Elger observed with an 8.5 inch reflector.
His sketches from 1884 to 1896 are now in the possession of the BAA.
He is best known as a careful and indefatigable selenographer, and
for this work his artistic skill eminently qualified him.
He
is most remembered for his book The Moon: A full Description and Map
of its Principal Physical Features. Published in 1895, its maps are
still highly regarded by lunar observers due to their uncluttered nature.
Elger
was member of several astronomical associations, as the Royal
Astronomical Society, the short-lived Selenographical Society and the
British Astronomical Association. Besides his astronomical work, he
was an ardent archaeologist and founded the Bedfordshire Natural
History Society and Field Club.
He
is remembered by the lunar crater Elger.
(notes
based on Wikipedia entry)
Walter
Goodacre (1856-1938)
Director:
1896-1938
Walter
Goodacre was a British businessman and amateur astronomer. He was
the second Director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical
Association. In 1910, he published a 77" diameter hand drawn map
of the Moon. In 1931, he self-published a larger book of maps of the
Moon's surface with descriptions of features.
(notes based on Wikipedia entry)
Memoirs
of the BAA, Vol. 36, Part 1, 1947 October: Tenth Report of the Lunar Section
Click
to download PDF file (this is a large 14 MB file and may take a
while to download)
Memoirs
of the BAA, Vol. 36, Part 3 1950 July: Eleventh Report of the Lunar Section
Click
to download PDF file (this
is a large 19 MB file and may take a while to download)
T
L MacDonald
Director:
1938-1946
Hugh
Percival Wilkins (1896-1960)
Director:
1946-1956
|
H. P. Wilkins in 1938. Image courtesy Eileen Coombes. |
Hugh Percival Wilkins was a Welsh-born engineer and amateur astronomer. He was born in Carmarthen, where he received his early education, then lived near Llanelli prior to moving to England. During the First World War he served in the Royal Army Corps. Professionally he worked as a mechanical engineer and a civil servant, but he is most noted for his efforts as an amateur astronomer, particularly as a selenographer. He was elected to the British Astronomical Association in 1918 and for a period he was the Director of the Lunar Section. He produced a 100" map of the Moon, which included new names for a number of features. In 1948 he put forward a request to the IAU that twenty-two new names be adopted. However he was turned down on the premise that the features were small or near the limb and already had letter designations. In 1951 he published a 300" diameter map of the Moon, considered by some as the culmination of the art of selenography prior to the space age. He made additional requests to the IAU in 1952 and 1955, which were turned down. However the Goodacre and Mee crater names from a 1926 map he had produced did become part of the lunar nomenclature. He also published a number of books intended to popularize astronomy, including two works in collaboration with Sir Patrick Moore. The most notable was his work, The Moon, which included a scaled-down version of his lunar map. Wilkins crater on the Moon is named after him. (notes based on Wikipedia entry)
|
Ewen
A Whitaker
Director:
1956-1958
Gilbert
Fielder
Director:
1958-1962
Brian
Warner
Director:
1962-1964
Patrick
Alfred Moore (1923 - present)
Director:
1964-1968
Sir
Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, HonFRS, FRAS was born in Pinner,
England. Known as Patrick Moore, he is an amateur astronomer who has
attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio
commentator and television presenter of the subject and who is
credited as having done more than any other to raise the profile of
astronomy among the British general public. He was born to Captain
Charles Trachsel Caldwell-Moore MC (died 1947) and Gertrude,
née White (died 1981 aged 94).
Sir
Patrick was always very close to his mother and she was a talented
artist who lived with him at his Selsey home which is still
colourfully decorated with many paintings of 'bogeys', little
friendly aliens, which she regularly produced and were sent out
annually as Patrick's Christmas cards.
He
is a former president of the British Astronomical Association,
co-founder and former president of the Society for Popular Astronomy,
author of more than 100 books on astronomy, presenter of the longest
running television series (with the same original presenter), The Sky
at Night on the BBC, and a famous figure on British television (such
as being the Gamesmaster). He is well known for his rapid mode of
speech, trademark monocle, poorly fitting blazers, extremely high
trouser line and a fondness for the xylophone.
Sir
Patrick is also an accomplished composer. He is entirely self-taught
in music. His favourite style includes 19th century Viennese waltzes
and marches, but he has also turned to ragtime, polkas, and a
nocturne. In 1981 he played a xylophone solo in a Royal Command Performance.
(notes
based on Wikipedia entry)
Ron
C Maddison
Director:
1968-1971
Philip
A Ringsdore
Acting
Director: 1971
Patrick
Alfred Moore
Director:
1971-1976
Harry
S Ford
Director:
1976-1978
Geoff
W Amery
Director:
1978-1987
Peter
W Foley
Director:
1988-1992
Jeremy
Cook
Director:
1992-1995
|
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Alan
Wells
Director:
1995-2009
College lecturer by profession, based in Birmingham, England, Alan Wells is an amateur railway aficionado and railway model engineer.
Bill
Leatherbarrow
Current
Director
Email: director@baalunarsection.org.uk