Thomas Gwyn Empy Elger

FRAS FRAS may refer to: * Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, post-nominal letters * Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland are individuals who have bee ...

(27 October 1836 – 9 January 1897) was a British

selenographer Selenography is the study of the surface and physical features of the Moon (also known as geography of the Moon, or selenodesy). Like geography and areography, selenography is a subdiscipline within the field of planetary science. Historica ...

and one of the preeminent lunar observers of the Victorian age, best known for his lunar map, which was regarded as one of the best available until the 1960s. He was the first director of the Lunar Section of the

British Astronomical Association The British Astronomical Association (BAA) was formed in 1890 as a national body to support the UK's amateur astronomers. Throughout its history, the BAA has encouraged observers to make scientifically valuable observations, often in collaborati ...

(BAA), and is remembered by the lunar crater Elger.

Biography

Thomas Elger was born on 27 October 1836 in

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

, where his family had been established for several generations, and educated at

Bedford School :''Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Girls' School, Bedford High School, Bedford Modern School, Old Bedford School in Bedford, Texas or Bedford Academy in Bedford, Nova Scotia.'' Bedford School is a public school (English indep ...

. His father Thomas Gwyn Elger (1794 – 1841) was an architect and builder. Grandfather, father and son engaged in town politics, and all held the post of mayor. Elger studied at

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

and adopted the profession of a civil engineer. He was engaged in several important works, including the

Metropolitan Railway The Metropolitan Railway (also known as the Met) was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its main line heading north-west from the capital's financial heart in the City to what were to become the Middlesex su ...

and the

Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The heritage line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route, and c ...

. However, his surveys for railway construction in

Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...

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 Reflector may refer to: Science * Reflector, a device that causes reflection (for example, a mirror or a retroreflector) * Reflector (photography), used to control lighting contrast * Reflecting telescope * Reflector (antenna), the part of an ant ...

. 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. The visual brightness of lunar features is expressed in the ''Elger's Lunar Albedo Scale''. This scale had been established in 1791 by the German astronomer

Johann Hieronymus Schröter Johann Hieronymus Schröter (30 August 1745, Erfurt – 29 August 1816, Lilienthal) was a German astronomer. Life Schröter was born in Erfurt, and studied law at Göttingen University from 1762 until 1767, after which he started a ten-y ...

and popularized by Elger. Elger was a member of several astronomical associations, and he was elected as a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the

Royal Astronomical Society (Whatever shines should be observed) , predecessor = , successor = , formation = , founder = , extinction = , merger = , merged = , type = NGO ...

on 10 February 1871. He was a founding member of the short-lived Selenographical Society, in 1878, President of the

Liverpool Astronomical Society The Liverpool Astronomical Society was founded in 1881 in Liverpool, England, as a society to promote and coordinate amateur astronomy. In 1893 the Society was gifted a 5" (125mm) aperture Cooke equatorial telescope and a 2” (50mm) transit te ...

, and a founding member of the

, in 1890, becoming the first director of its Lunar Section. He was appointed an associate of the Astronomical Society of Wales, a form of honorary membership. Besides his astronomical work, he was an ardent archaeologist and founded the Bedfordshire Natural History Society and Field Club. Thomas Gwyn Elger died on 9 January 1897, aged 60, and the lunar crater Elger was named in his honour in 1912.

References

External links

Elger, Thomas Gwyn (1838-1897)
Retrieved 15 May 2005 * . Retrieved 15 May 2005

Retrieved 15 May 2005
Elger's Albedo Scale
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elger, Thomas Gwyn Empy 1836 births 1897 deaths People educated at Bedford School Alumni of University College London People from Bedford 19th-century British astronomers Selenographers Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society

Biography

References

Further reading

External links