Arthur Storer
Encyclopedia
Arthur Storer was America's first colonial astronomer
. He came to Calvert County
, Maryland
, from Lincolnshire
, England. He was among the first observers to sight and record data about a magnificent comet
that passed over Patuxent
skies in 1682. Storer's work shows up in a number of Newton's writings. The comet became known as Storer's Comet, until Edmund Halley later predicted the comet's return; thereafter this celestial marvel was known as Halley's Comet
.
His observations of the great comet of 1680 are mentioned twice in Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
.
A planetarium
bearing Storer's name is located in Prince Frederick, Maryland
.
well known confessions list in the Fitzwilliam notebook of 1662 includes "beating Arthur Storer".
When Isaac was about 12 years old, he was sent away to the Grammar school in Grantham. While in school he boarded at the home of William Clarke
, an apothecary
on Grantham High Street next to the George Inn. Clarke was the second husband of Arthur's mother Katherine. Katherine brought her four children Edward, Arthur, Katherine and Ann to the marriage.
Arthur's sister Katherine Storer, did not deny that Newton may have had a romantic interest in her. William Stukeley interviewed her in 1727 after Newton's death when she was 'Mrs Vincent' a widow of 82 years. He wrote: "Sir Isaac & she being thus brought up together, it is said that he entertain'd a passion for her, when they grew up: nor dos she deny it."
Storer's observations of the comet are considered to be the most accurate of his contemporaries (including Edmund Halley) with the exception of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
. He came to Calvert County
Calvert County, Maryland
Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It occupies the Calvert Peninsula which is bordered on the east by the Chesapeake Bay and on the west by the Patuxent River. Calvert County is part of the Southern Maryland region. Calvert County's residents are among the highest...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, from Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England. He was among the first observers to sight and record data about a magnificent 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...
that passed over Patuxent
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...
skies in 1682. Storer's work shows up in a number of Newton's writings. The comet became known as Storer's Comet, until Edmund Halley later predicted the comet's return; thereafter this celestial marvel was known as Halley's Comet
Comet Halley
Halley's Comet or Comet Halley is the best-known of the short-period comets, and is visible from Earth every 75 to 76 years. Halley is the only short-period comet that is clearly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the only naked-eye comet that might appear twice in a human lifetime...
.
His observations of the great comet of 1680 are mentioned twice in Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Latin for "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy", often referred to as simply the Principia, is a work in three books by Sir Isaac Newton, first published 5 July 1687. Newton also published two further editions, in 1713 and 1726...
.
A planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
bearing Storer's name is located in Prince Frederick, Maryland
Prince Frederick, Maryland
Prince Frederick is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States, not to be confused with the incorporated, and much larger, city of Frederick some to the northwest in Frederick County...
.
Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton'sIsaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
well known confessions list in the Fitzwilliam notebook of 1662 includes "beating Arthur Storer".
When Isaac was about 12 years old, he was sent away to the Grammar school in Grantham. While in school he boarded at the home of William Clarke
William Clarke (apothecary)
William Clarke was an apothecary who provided lodgings for a young Isaac Newton whilst he attended King's School in Grantham....
, an apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
on Grantham High Street next to the George Inn. Clarke was the second husband of Arthur's mother Katherine. Katherine brought her four children Edward, Arthur, Katherine and Ann to the marriage.
Arthur's sister Katherine Storer, did not deny that Newton may have had a romantic interest in her. William Stukeley interviewed her in 1727 after Newton's death when she was 'Mrs Vincent' a widow of 82 years. He wrote: "Sir Isaac & she being thus brought up together, it is said that he entertain'd a passion for her, when they grew up: nor dos she deny it."
Storer's Comet
At about dawn on August 14, 1682 looking westward over the Patuxent River near Hunting Creek, Arthur Storer apparently saw what is now known as Halley’s Comet. The comet stayed visible in the area until September 18, 1682.Storer's observations of the comet are considered to be the most accurate of his contemporaries (including Edmund Halley) with the exception of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.
Ancestry
| Arthur Storer (1648-1686) |
Father: Edward Storer (b. abt. 1610) |
Paternal Grandfather: |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: |
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| Mother: Katherine Babington (b. 1613) |
Maternal Grandfather: Adrian Babinton (b. 1578) |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Humphrey Babington (b. 1544) |
|
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Margaret Cave (b. 1554) |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Margaret Cave (b. est. 1580-1595) |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Henry Cave |
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External links
- "Arrthur Storer: Maryland's Astronomer Extraordinaire"
- "Arthur Storer Planetarium"
- "Calvert County, 350 Years - Early Resident Arthur Storer"
- "Early Years of Isaac Newton"
- "The Heritage of Calvert County, Maryland For the Young Reader"
- "Photos of the Planetarium and of the Historic Marker"
- "Will of Arthur Storer - 1686"