The Reverend Thomas Henry Espinell Compton Espin or T. H. E. C. Espin (28 May 1858 – 2 December 1934) was a British
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
. His father Thomas Espin was Chancellor of the Diocese of Chester and his mother was Elizabeth (née Jessop).
He became interested in
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
by the appearance of "
Coggia's Comet" (
C/1874 H1), which he saw while attending
Haileybury School
Haileybury is a Public school (UK), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent Day school, day and boarding school) near Hertford in England. It is a member of the Rugby Group and, though originally a major boys' ...
. Espin then went to
Exeter College, Oxford, from 1878 to 1881. He was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
the following year.
He was an avid amateur astronomer and skilled observer. In 1876, and while only eighteen years of age, he made the acquaintance of the aged Rev.
Thomas William Webb (1807–1885) and assisted with an updated edition of his book ''
Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes''; after Webb's death in 1885 he published an expanded 5th (1893) and 6th (1917) editions of it. Also in 1885 Espin was appointed Curate of
Wolsingham and he established an astronomical observatory there. In 1888 he transferred to
Tow Law, where he served until he died, and brought the observatory with him. The observatory housed a -inch (438 mm) aperture reflecting telescope, which was later supplemented by a 24-inch (620 mm) aperture reflecting telescope. Espin discovered many
nebulae,
variable star
A variable star is a star whose brightness as seen from Earth (its apparent magnitude) changes with time. This variation may be caused by a change in emitted light or by something partly blocking the light, so variable stars are classified as ...
s, and more than 2500
double star
In observational astronomy, a double star or visual double is a pair of stars that appear close to each other as viewed from Earth, especially with the aid of optical telescopes.
This occurs because the pair either forms a binary star (i.e. a bi ...
s. He made many observations of the
spectra of stars, and in particular he also did extensive searches for red stars (especially in his early career) and published a catalogue of them.
He became a Fellow of the
Royal Astronomical Society
(Whatever shines should be observed)
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on 11 January 1878. From 1912 he was assisted in astronomical observing by William Milburn (1896–1982), the grandson of a family friend. Espin was awarded the
Jackson-Gwilt Medal
The Jackson-Gwilt Medal is an award that has been issued by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) since 1897. The original criteria were for the invention, improvement, or development of astronomical instrumentation or techniques; for achievement ...
of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1913.
He discovered a
nova
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
in the constellation
Lacerta in December 1910: this object was later known as
DI Lacertae.
His other amateur scientific interests included
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
,
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...
and the study of
X-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
s; his study of
fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
s caused him to disbelieve
Darwin's theory of
evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
.
He also served as a county magistrate for 35 years beginning in 1891 and was chairman of
Stanhope and
Wolsingham Sessions. He never married.
The crater
Espin Espin can refer to:
* eCRUSH
* espin (protein)
* Espin (surname)
* Espin (crater)
Espin is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the northeastern limb. It lies to the west-southwest of the larger crater Seyfert ...
on the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
is named after him.
References
External links
Obituaries
MNRAS 95 (1935) 319–322JBAA 45 (1935) 128Nature 135 (1935) 257-258
{{DEFAULTSORT:Espin, T. H. E. C
1858 births
1934 deaths
19th-century British astronomers
19th-century English Anglican priests
20th-century English Anglican priests
Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society
20th-century British astronomers