Liverpool Astronomical Society Explained

Liverpool Astronomical Society
Size:	150px
Abbreviation:	LAS
Formation:	1881
Status:	Society
Purpose:	study of celestial objects
Location:	Liverpool, England
Language:	English
Leader Title:	President
Leader Name:	Mr S.Southern
Main Organ:	(gral. assembly, board of directors, etc)
Website:	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 telescope by Thomas Rylands.^{[1] [2]} An observatory was built for it on the roof of the William Brown building in central Liverpool. However from around 1899 the society ceased activities, only for it to be revived in July 1901.^{[3] [4]} Four Liverpool Astronomical Society Members joined the British Astronomical Association expedition to observe the total solar eclipse of 30 August 1905.^[5] A second period of inactivity occurred during and after the First World War from 1914 until 1922.^[6] The Cooke telescope is still owned by the society, but is currently unused.

The Society’s current observatory, known as the Leighton Observatory, is at Pex Hill, Cronton, Merseyside outside Liverpool. It was formerly known as Pex Hill Observatory and Visitors' Centre.

Presidents

Partial list 1881 to 1925.

• 1881–1882, unknown
• 1882–1884, Richard Coward Johnson^[7]
• 1884–1885, Thomas Henry Espinall Compton Espin
• 1885–1886, Isaac Roberts
• 1887–1888, William Frederick Denning
• 1888–1889, Thomas Gwyn Elger
• 1889–1890, Stephen Joseph Perry
• 1890–1893, William Benjamin Hutchinson^[8]
• 1893–1894, James Gill^[9]
• 1894–1897, William Edward Plummer
• 1897–1899, George Higgs
• 1899–1901, society inactive
• 1901–1914, William Edward Plummer
• 1914–1922, society inactive
• 1923–1925, Harold Whichello^[10]

Special Observer

The laws of the Society provided for a ‘Special Observer’.^[11] The Observer was to have control of the Society’s Observatory to

• 1 Corroborate the observations of Society Members.
• 2 Assist Members requiring practical help in observational Astronomy.
• 3 Undertake systematic observations on behalf of the Society.

T H E C Espin was appointed as special observer while living at West Kirby. To show compliance with task 3 Espin published ‘A Catalogue of the Magnitudes of 500 Stars in Auriga, Gemini and Leo Minor’ in volume three of the LAS Transactions in 1884.^{[12] [13] [14]} He also published ‘circulars’ to the membership of the society advising on objects suitable for observation.^[15]

He retained the title despite moving to Wolsingham in 1885 and Tow Law in 1888. However the title was rescinded when he resigned from the LAS in 1890.

See also

• List of astronomical societies

External links

• LAS Website

Notes and References

1. Web site: culturewa. 2019-07-31. Thomas Glazebrook Rylands and Astronomy. 2020-09-30. Warrington Museum and Art Gallery. en.
2. Web site: 1901MNRAS..61R.188. Page 1:188. 2020-09-30. articles.adsabs.harvard.edu.
3. Web site: 1902JBAA...13...38. Page 38. 2020-09-30. articles.adsabs.harvard.edu.
4. Web site: 1902JBAA...12..141. Page 141. 2020-09-30. articles.adsabs.harvard.edu.
5. Book: British Astronomical Association. The total solar eclipse 1905 : Reports of observations made by members of the British Astronomical Association of the total solar eclipse of 1905, August 30. Levander. Frederick William. 1906. London : British Astronomical Association. University of California Libraries.
6. Web site: The History of Liverpool Astronomical Society. 2020-09-30. Liverpool Astronomical Society. 30 May 1998 . en-GB.
7. Web site: Presidents (with photos) of Liverpool Astronomical Society, 1881 – Present day. 2020-09-30. Liverpool Astronomical Society. 18 May 2002 . en-GB.
8. Web site: 1899MNRAS..59R.226. Page 226. 2020-09-30. articles.adsabs.harvard.edu.
9. Web site: 1901MNRAS..61R.185. Page 185. 2020-09-30. articles.adsabs.harvard.edu.
10. 2014JBAA..124..336S Page 336. 2020-10-03. Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 2014JBAA..124..336S . Shears . J. . Hull . T. . 2014 . 124 . 336 . 1303.7086 .
11. Book: Laws of the Liverpool Astronomical Society. Revised 23rd October, 1886. Liverpool. 1886. British Library. 4.
12. Web site: 1884Obs.....7..234. Page 237. 2020-10-03. articles.adsabs.harvard.edu.
13. Book: Lockyer, Norman. Nature. 1869. [London, etc., Macmillan Journals Ltd., etc.]. Smithsonian Libraries.
14. Web site: 1885MNRAS..45A..23. Page 27. 2020-10-03. articles.adsabs.harvard.edu.
15. Web site: 1886Obs.....9..235. Page 236. 2020-10-03. articles.adsabs.harvard.edu.