| William Henry Wesley | |
| Birth Date: | 23 August 1841 |
William Henry Wesley (1841–1922) was an engraver, artist, astronomer and administrator, who worked as assistant secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1875 to his death in 1922.[1] [2] [3]
Wesley was born at Stapenhill, Staffordshire, England, the sonof a printer and publisher. He moved with his family to London in 1855,and became an apprentice to an engraver. He developed a reputation asa skilled technical artist, preparing and engraving diagrams forscientific publications.[2] [3]
Wesley was asked by the astronomer Arthur Cowper Ranyard to preparean engraving of the Sun's corona from photographs of the 1871 total solareclipse. When the position of assistant secretary to the Royal Astronomical Society became vacant, Cowper Raynard pushed Wesley toapply. Wesley was appointed.[2] The assistant secretary was the society's primary administrative official.
William Henry Wesley reorganised and updated the administration of thesociety. He prepared a catalogue of its extensive library.[2]
He travelled to Algiers to observe the total solar eclipse of28 May 1900. He concluded that photography was capable of recording moredetail in the Sun's corona than could be seen visually through atelescope.[2]
Wesley prepared diagrams for scientific publications. This included charts of the Milky Way and maps of the Moon's surface.[2]
Wesley was an author of articles in the Dictionary of National Biography, including the short one about the astronomer Arthur Cowper Ranyard.[1]