Edward Maunder

Edward Walter Maunder (April 12th 1851 – March 21st 1928) was a Astronome English especially known for its study of the sunspots and the solar magnetic cycle which enabled him to identify the period going of 1645 with 1715, now called Minimum of Maunder. He was also a famous biblical scholar.

He had been born in London, youngest child of Pasteur of the Wesleyan Society. He studied with the King' S College of London without obtaining diploma. He worked in a London bank to finance his studies. In 1873, it turned over to the Royal Observatory, occupying a station of assistant spectroscopist. Part of its work consisted in photographing and measuring the sunspots, and by doing that it observed that the solar latitudes where the sunspots are vary systematically during the eleven years cycle. In 1904, it published its results in the shape of the diagram " papillon". After 1891, it was assisted in its work by his second wife, Annie Scott Dill Maunder (born Russell), a Mathématicien formed with the Girton College of Cambridge. It was one of the " calculatrices" who worked at the Royal Observatory of 1890 to 1895.

After having studied work of Gustav Spörer, which had identified one period going of 1400 with 1510 during which the sunspots had been rare (" the Mimimum de Spörer "), it examined old recordings coming from the files of the observatory to seek if there were other similar periods. These studies led it to announce in 1893 the existence of the period which bears its name now.

It observed Mars and was very reserved on the existence of the Canaux Martians. It carried out visual experiments using discs comprising of the marks which led it to conclude, correctly, that the vision of channels came from a Optical illusion. It was as convinced as it could not exist a life " identical to that on Terre" over Mars, because there are no winds likely to equalize the temperatures and the average temperatures are too low. A crater on Mars and another on the the Moon bear its name.

In 1890, Maunder was one of the leaders of the creation of the British Astronomical Association. Although being itself member of the Royal Astronomical Society since 1875, it wished an association of astronomers open to any person interested by astronomy, of any social class and in particular, opened to the women. Later, his Annie wife was one of the first women member of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1916. Edward Maunder was the first editor of the review of the BAA, a station occupied later by his wife. His/her brother older Thomas Frid Maunder (1841-1935) was one of the cofounders and was during 38 years secretary of Association.

Edward Maunder Maria twice. In 1875, he married Edith Hannah Bustin who had five children. Of its marriage with Annie Scott Dill Russell (1868-1947) in 1895, it did not have a child.

Publications

E. Walter Maunder FRAS: Royal The Observatory, Greenwich: In Glance At its History and Work , (1900)
E. Maunder: Astronomy without has Telescope , (1902)
E.W. Maunder: Note one the distribution off sun-spots in heliographic latitude, 1874-1902 , Monthly Notes off the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 64, (1904) p.747-761
E. Maunder: Astronomy off the Bible: An Elementary Commentary one the Astronomical Refers in the Holy Scripture , (1908)
A. and E. Maunder: The Heavens and to their Story , (1909)
E.W. Maunder FRAS: The Science off the Stars , (1912)
E. Maunder: Are the Planets Inhabited? , (1913)

References

Willie Wei-Hock Soon and Steven H. Yaskell: The Maunder Minimum and the Variable Sun-Earth Connection , World Scientific, 2003, ISBN 981-238-274-7

Year article one the life and work off Edward Walter Maunder is in the process off being prepared for publication, the first share, one his life and times, has been accepted for publication in the Newspaper off the British Astronomical Association, written by Anthony Kinder.

External bonds

J.E. Evans and E.W. Maunder, " Experiments ace to the Actuality off the “Canals” observed one Mars" , MNRAS, ''' 63 ''' (1903) 488
With drawing off Butterfly-Stud

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