Alexander Forbes Irvine Forbes (13 April 1871 – 15 May 1959) was a South African astronomer, architect and
artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...
, best known for his discovery of periodic comets.
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
, Scotland on 13 April 1871. His father was an amateur astronomer who lived on the estate
"Blairythan" in County Aberdeen belonging to another amateur astronomer, David Gill. Forbes senior had built his own telescope and shared his interest in astronomy with his son.
Forbes was educated in Scotland and moved to the Cape Colony, South Africa in 1896. He stayed in Woodstock, Cape Town where he worked as a builder until 1907 when he returned to Scotland to study architecture. He completed his studies in 1909 and became a member of the Institute of Architects. He returned to Cape Town and practiced as an architect there until 1932.
In 1912 he participated in a tender for the design of the city of
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and his architectural design was among the initial shortlist of 46 but was not finally chosen.
He lived in
Rosebank, Cape Town
Rosebank is one of the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa, located between the suburbs of Mowbray and Rondebosch.
Geography
Rosebank is located on the lower eastern slope of Devil's Peak, stretching down to the Liesbeeck River, and ...
where he built a 200mm reflecting telescope and a small observatory at his house, ''Craigie Brae'' which was in Liesbeek Road.
Forbes lectured regularly on astronomical topics. In 1921 he read a paper on "Reflecting telescopes, with practical directions for grinding and figuring the mirror" at the Cape Astronomical Association and in 1927 presented "Satellites and their movements" to the Natal Astronomical Society. He wrote about astronomical instruments for the ''Journal of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa'' and notes about his astronomical work for the ''Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa''.
Comet discoveries
Forbes discovered four comets :
*In 1928 he rediscovered comet Pons-Coggia-Winnecke (now called Pons-Coggia-Winnecke-Forbes or
27P/Crommelin
Comet Crommelin, also known as Comet Pons-Coggia-Winnecke-Forbes, is a periodic comet with an orbital period of almost 28 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with (20 years <
*
37P/Forbes
37P/Forbes is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It was discovered on August 1, 1929, by Alexander F. I. Forbes in South Africa.
*1930e (Forbes)
*1932n (Dodwell-Forbes), discovered with George F. Dodwell
Membership & recognition
* Member of the Cape Astronomical Society
* Honorary treasurer of the Cape Astronomical Society 1922
* Alternative member of council and honorary treasurer for the Astronomical Society of South Africa 1923 - 1932
* Librarian of the Astronomical Society of South Africa 1926 - 1930
* President of the Astronomical Society of South Africa 1942 - 1943
* Director of the Comet Section, Cape Astronomical Society 1929 - 1945
* Director of the Zodiacal Light Section, Cape Astronomical Society 1934 - 1945
* 127th Donohoe Comet Award 1929 (for 27P/Crommelin). He received 3 other Donohoe Comet awards for other discoveries.
Personal life
Forbes married Louisa Elizabeth Henrietta Crowther on 18 September 1900 in the Cape Province. He retired to Hermanus in 1932, where he built another observatory at his house "Blairythan" and moved the telescope from Rosebank to Hermanus. He designed the house and crafted all of its doors himself. Here he continued his observations as well as his architectural work and painting. In 1956 he returned to Cape Town owing to ill health and lived with his niece, Mrs. Hewiston until his death in 1959.
In 2009 one of his paintings, ''Hermanus Coast Line'' was sold at auction.