Albert F. A. L. Jones
Encyclopedia
Albert F. A. L. Jones is a New Zealand
amateur astronomer
, and a prolific variable star
and comet
observer
, a member of the Variable Star Section and the Comet Section of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand
.
, Canterbury
, New Zealand. He was educated at Timaru
Boys' High School. In the beginning of the Second World War he joined the army, but in 1942 he was classified unfit for overseas service. He has worked as a miller in a rolled-oat
mill, as a grocery shop owner and in a car assembly factory.
astronomer Syogo Utsunomiya the comet C/2000 W1
(Utsunomiya-Jones), becoming the oldest comet discoverer. In 1987 he co-discovered the supernova
SN 1987A
in the Large Magellanic Cloud
, which appeared to be the brightest naked-eye
supernova explosion in the last 300 years.
for his work in establishing accurate magnitudes
of comets. In 1987 he was honoured with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire
(OBE) for his services to astronomy. One year later asteroid 3152 Jones
was named after him. He won the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
for his variable star and comet observations in 1998. The comet C/2000 W1 discovery brought him the Edgar Wilson Award, administered by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
, in 2001. In 2004 he received an honorary degree
of the Doctor of Science
from the Victoria University of Wellington
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
, and a prolific variable star
Variable star
A star is classified as variable if its apparent magnitude as seen from Earth changes over time, whether the changes are due to variations in the star's actual luminosity, or to variations in the amount of the star's light that is blocked from reaching Earth...
and comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
observer
Observational astronomy
Observational astronomy is a division of the astronomical science that is concerned with getting data, in contrast with theoretical astrophysics which is mainly concerned with finding out the measurable implications of physical models...
, a member of the Variable Star Section and the Comet Section of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand
Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand
The Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand is the New Zealand national astronomical society. It is an association of professional and amateur astronomers with the prime objective to the promotion and extension of knowledge of astronomy and related branches of science.- History :The society was...
.
Life
Albert Jones was born in ChristchurchChristchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
, New Zealand. He was educated at Timaru
Timaru
TimaruUrban AreaPopulation:27,200Extent:Former Timaru City CouncilTerritorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:...
Boys' High School. In the beginning of the Second World War he joined the army, but in 1942 he was classified unfit for overseas service. He has worked as a miller in a rolled-oat
Rolled oats
Rolled oats are traditionally oat groats that have been rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers and then steamed and lightly toasted. The oat, like the other cereals, has a hard, inedible outer husk that must be removed before the grain can be eaten. After the outer husk has been removed from...
mill, as a grocery shop owner and in a car assembly factory.
Achievements
In 1963 he became the sixth astronomer in history to make 100,000 observations of variable stars and by 2004 he made more than 500,000 observations, a milestone, which nobody else had reached before. His visual brightness estimates were very precise, reaching accuracy of less than 10 per cent. In 1946 he discovered the comet C/1946 P1 (Jones) and in 2000 he co-discovered, together with JapaneseJapanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
astronomer Syogo Utsunomiya the comet C/2000 W1
C/2000 W1
C/2000 W1 is a long-period comet discovered on November 18, 2000, by Syogo Utsunomiya and Albert F. Jones.The comet has an observation arc of 58 days allowing a reasonable estimate of the orbit...
(Utsunomiya-Jones), becoming the oldest comet discoverer. In 1987 he co-discovered the supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
SN 1987A
SN 1987A
SN 1987A was a supernova in the outskirts of the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby dwarf galaxy. It occurred approximately 51.4 kiloparsecs from Earth, approximately 168,000 light-years, close enough that it was visible to the naked eye. It could be seen from the Southern...
in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Large Magellanic Cloud
The Large Magellanic Cloud is a nearby irregular galaxy, and is a satellite of the Milky Way. At a distance of slightly less than 50 kiloparsecs , the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal and Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy lying closer to the center...
, which appeared to be the brightest naked-eye
Naked eye
The naked eye is a figure of speech referring to human visual perception unaided by a magnifying or light-collecting optical device, such as a telescope or microscope. Vision corrected to normal acuity using corrective lenses is considered "naked"...
supernova explosion in the last 300 years.
Acknowledgement
His work has been widely acknowledged. In 1968 he received the Merlin Silver Medal and Prize of the British Astronomical AssociationBritish Astronomical Association
The British Astronomical Association is the senior national association of amateur astronomers in the UK.-Function:It encourages observational astronomy by non-professionals in areas which cannot be covered by professional observatories...
for his work in establishing accurate magnitudes
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
of comets. In 1987 he was honoured with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(OBE) for his services to astronomy. One year later asteroid 3152 Jones
3152 Jones
3152 Jones is a main-belt asteroid discovered on June 7, 1983 by Alan C. Gilmore and Pamela M. Kilmartin at Mount John.- External links :*...
was named after him. He won the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is a scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world...
for his variable star and comet observations in 1998. The comet C/2000 W1 discovery brought him the Edgar Wilson Award, administered by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is a research institute of the Smithsonian Institution headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it is joined with the Harvard College Observatory to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics .-History:The SAO was founded in 1890 by...
, in 2001. In 2004 he received an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of the Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
from the Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
.