John Russell Hind
Encyclopedia
John Russell Hind FRS (May 12, 1823 – December 23, 1895) was an English
astronomer
.
, the son of lace manufacturer John Hind, and was educated at Nottingham High School
. At age 17 he went to London
to serve an apprenticeship as a civil engineer, but through the help of Charles Wheatstone
he left engineering to accept a position at the Royal Greenwich Observatory under George Biddell Airy
. Hind remained there from 1840 to 1844, at which time he succeeded W. R. Dawes as director of the private observatory of George Bishop. In 1853 Hind became Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac
, a position he held until 1891.
Hind is notable for being one of the early discoverers of asteroid
s. He also discovered and observed the variable star
s R Leporis
(also known as Hind's Crimson Star), U Geminorum
, and T Tauri
(also called Hind's Variable Nebula), and discovered the variability of μ Cephei
. Hind discovered Nova Ophiuchi 1848 (V841 Ophiuchi), the first nova of modern times (since the supernova SN 1604
).
Hind's naming of the asteroid 12 Victoria
caused some controversy. At the time, asteroids were not supposed to be named after living persons. Hind somewhat disingenuously claimed that the name was not a reference to Queen Victoria
, but the mythological figure Victoria
.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June, 1863.
He died in 1895 in Twickenham
, London. Hind had married Fanny Fuller in 1846; he and his wife had six children.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
astronomer
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...
.
Life and work
John Russell Hind was born in 1823 in NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, the son of lace manufacturer John Hind, and was educated at Nottingham High School
Nottingham High School
Nottingham High School is a British boys' independent school situated about a mile north of Nottingham city centre. It has around 900 pupils from ages 11 to 18 and there is the adjoining Nottingham High Junior School catering for younger boys and, from September 2008, the Lovell House...
. At age 17 he went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to serve an apprenticeship as a civil engineer, but through the help of Charles Wheatstone
Charles Wheatstone
Sir Charles Wheatstone FRS , was an English scientist and inventor of many scientific breakthroughs of the Victorian era, including the English concertina, the stereoscope , and the Playfair cipher...
he left engineering to accept a position at the Royal Greenwich Observatory under George Biddell Airy
George Biddell Airy
Sir George Biddell Airy PRS KCB was an English mathematician and astronomer, Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881...
. Hind remained there from 1840 to 1844, at which time he succeeded W. R. Dawes as director of the private observatory of George Bishop. In 1853 Hind became Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac
Nautical Almanac
Nautical Almanac can refer to:* Nautical almanac - a publication describing the positions and movements of celestial bodies* American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac - first published in 1852* U.S...
, a position he held until 1891.
Hind is notable for being one of the early discoverers of asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
s. He also discovered and observed the 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...
s R Leporis
R Leporis
R Leporis , sometimes called Hind's Crimson Star, is a well-known variable star in the constellation Lepus, near its border with Eridanus. It is designated "R" in the chart to the right....
(also known as Hind's Crimson Star), U Geminorum
U Geminorum
U Geminorum , in the constellation Gemini, is an archetypal example of a dwarf nova. The binary star system consists of a white dwarf closely orbiting a red dwarf. Roughly every 100 days it undergoes an outburst that greatly increases its brightness. Discovered by J.R...
, and T Tauri
T Tauri
T Tauri is a variable star in the constellation Taurus, the prototype of the T Tauri stars. It was discovered in October 1852 by John Russell Hind...
(also called Hind's Variable Nebula), and discovered the variability of μ Cephei
Mu Cephei
Mu Cephei , also known as Herschel's Garnet Star, is a red supergiant star in the constellation Cepheus. It is one of the largest and most luminous stars known in the Milky Way...
. Hind discovered Nova Ophiuchi 1848 (V841 Ophiuchi), the first nova of modern times (since the supernova SN 1604
SN 1604
Supernova 1604, also known as Kepler's Supernova, Kepler's Nova or Kepler's Star, was a supernova that occurred in the Milky Way, in the constellation Ophiuchus. , it is the last supernova to have been unquestionably observed in our own galaxy, occurring no farther than 6 kiloparsecs or about...
).
Hind's naming of the asteroid 12 Victoria
12 Victoria
12 Victoria is a large main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by J. R. Hind on September 13, 1850.Victoria is officially named after the Roman goddess of victory, but the name also honours Queen Victoria. The goddess Victoria was the daughter of Styx by the Titan Pallas...
caused some controversy. At the time, asteroids were not supposed to be named after living persons. Hind somewhat disingenuously claimed that the name was not a reference to Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, but the mythological figure Victoria
Victoria (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion, Victoria was the personified goddess of victory. She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Nike, and was associated with Bellona. She was adapted from the Sabine agricultural goddess Vacuna and had a temple on the Palatine Hill...
.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June, 1863.
He died in 1895 in Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
, London. Hind had married Fanny Fuller in 1846; he and his wife had six children.
| 7 Iris 7 Iris 7 Iris is a large main-belt asteroid. Among the S-type asteroids, it ranks fifth in geometric mean diameter after Eunomia, Juno, Amphitrite and Herculina.... |
August 13, 1847 |
| 8 Flora 8 Flora 8 Flora is a large, bright main-belt asteroid. It is the innermost large asteroid: no asteroid closer to the Sun has a diameter above 25 kilometres or two-elevenths that of Flora itself, and not until the tiny 149 Medusa was discovered was a single asteroid orbiting at a closer mean distance... |
October 18, 1847 |
| 12 Victoria 12 Victoria 12 Victoria is a large main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by J. R. Hind on September 13, 1850.Victoria is officially named after the Roman goddess of victory, but the name also honours Queen Victoria. The goddess Victoria was the daughter of Styx by the Titan Pallas... |
September 13, 1850 |
| 14 Irene 14 Irene 14 Irene is a very large main-belt asteroid.14 Irene was discovered by J. R. Hind on May 19, 1851, and named after Eirene, a personification of peace in Greek mythology. She was one of the Horae, daughter of Zeus and Themis. The name was suggested by Sir John Herschel... |
May 19, 1851 |
| 18 Melpomene 18 Melpomene 18 Melpomene is a large, bright main-belt asteroid. It is composed of silicates and metals.It was discovered by J. R. Hind on June 24, 1852, and named after Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy in Greek mythology.... |
June 24, 1852 |
| 19 Fortuna 19 Fortuna 19 Fortuna is one of the largest main-belt asteroids. It has a composition similar to 1 Ceres: a darkly colored surface that is heavily space-weathered with the composition of primitive organic compounds, including tholins.... |
August 22, 1852 |
| 22 Kalliope 22 Kalliope 22 Kalliope is a large main belt M-type asteroid discovered by J. R. Hind on November 16, 1852. It is named after Calliope, the Greek Muse of epic poetry... |
November 16, 1852 |
| 23 Thalia 23 Thalia 23 Thalia is a large main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by J. R. Hind on December 15, 1852, at the private observatory of W. Bishop, located in Hyde Park, London, England. Bishop named it after Thalia, the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry in Greek mythology.It is categorized as an S-type... |
December 15, 1852 |
| 27 Euterpe 27 Euterpe 27 Euterpe is a large main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by J. R. Hind on November 8, 1853, and named after Euterpe, the Muse of music in Greek mythology.... |
November 8, 1853 |
| 30 Urania 30 Urania 30 Urania is a large main-belt asteroid.Urania was discovered by J. R. Hind on July 22, 1854. It was his last asteroid discovery. It is named after Urania, the Greek Muse of astronomy.-External links:* from JPL / *... |
July 22, 1854 |
Honours and legacy
- Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical SocietyGold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society-History:In the early years, more than one medal was often awarded in a year, but by 1833 only one medal was being awarded per year. This caused a problem when Neptune was discovered in 1846, because many felt an award should jointly be made to John Couch Adams and Urbain Le Verrier...
(1853) - Fellow of the Royal Society (1863)
- The crater HindHind (crater)Hind is a lunar impact crater that lies to the southeast of the walled plain Hipparchus, and due east of the crater Halley. The rim of Hind is relatively free of wear and distortion, except for a break at the north rim. The floor of Hind is relatively uneven, however, compared to the interior of...
on the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more... - Asteroid 1897 Hind1897 Hind1897 Hind is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 26, 1971 by Kohoutek, L. at Bergedorf.- External links :*...
- Comets C/1847 C1 (Hind) and C/1846 O1 (de Vico-Hind).
External links
- also known as T TauriT Tauri
T Tauri is a variable star in the constellation Taurus, the prototype of the T Tauri stars. It was discovered in October 1852 by John Russell Hind...