The Celestial Atlas of John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, ca. 1776, published in 1795

Flamsteed was born into a prosperous family and was largely self taught as he did not attend University due to poor health. His extensive studies in astronomy resulted in his being appointed the first Astronomer Royal by King Charles II, with the Royal Observatory at Greenwich being built for him to continue his observations of the heavens.

Flamsteed was the first astronomer to sight Uranus in 1690, naming it 34 Tauri, as he believed it to be a star. He accurately calculated the solar eclipses of 1666 and 1668. In 1677 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society and was a peer of such illustrious scientists as Newton, Moore and Halley, with whom his relations were contentious. His Celestial Atlas was published ten years posthumously by his wife. It set the standard in professional astronomy for almost a century, with the positions of over 3,000 stars given more accurately than ever before.

https://panteek.com/Flamsteed/
https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-celestial-atlas-of-flamsteed-1795
Powered by Blogger.