Edwin Alfred Holmes (1839–1919) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

amateur astronomer Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers ...

who is best remembered as the discoverer of Comet 17P/Holmes.

Amateur Astronomer

Edwin Holmes was born in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

, in 1839. He later moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

where he worked as a seller of glass. He lived at Hornsey Rise in North London from where he observed with a 12-inch aperture reflecting telescope he had manufactured himself. His targets included double stars. Holmes was a regular contributor to 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 ...

and to the magazine '' The English Mechanic and World of Science''. He became well known for his letters to the ''English Mechanic'', often robustly criticising the opinions of other amateur astronomers, occasionally causing controversy. In particular, he argued for the use of reflecting telescopes in preference to refractors of similar cost.

The Discovery of Comet 17P/Holmes

Edwin Holmes discovered the periodic

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...

17P/Holmes on 6 November 1892, and his discovery was confirmed within days at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Holmes discovered the comet after it suddenly brightened, allowing him to notice it close in the sky to the great Andromeda Galaxy. The comet remained visible to the unaided eye for another three weeks until it faded away. 75 days later the comet once again brightened to naked-eye visibility. Holmes was later awarded the Donohoe Comet Medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. He was appointed an associate of the Astronomical Society of Wales, a form of honorary membership.

References

External links

* 19th-century British astronomers Discoverers of comets 1839 births 1919 deaths {{UK-astronomer-stub