Tom Boles
Encyclopedia
Tom Boles is a British amateur astronomer
, author, broadcaster and former communications and computer engineer. He currently holds the record of spotting the most supernovae by one person: 125 supernovae. As of 2003, Boles and Mark Armstrong are the "most successful exploding star hunters in history." He broke the record after discovering his 124 supernova '2009ij', followed by supernova number 125 '2009io' a few nights later. The previous record holder was Professor Fritz Zwicky
, who discovered 123 supernovae before his death in 1974. The record was unbroken for 36 years.
Boles has also discovered a nova
in the Andromeda Galaxy
and the asteroid
(84417) Ritabo. Boles manages a private astronomical observatory http://www.coddenhamobservatories.org in Coddenham
, Suffolk
.
He was President of the British Astronomical Association
from 2003 to 2005 and Vice President from 2005 to 2007. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
and a member of Commission 28 of the International Astronomical Union
(IAU). He is an Examinations Moderator in astronomy with the International Baccalaureate.
Boles has co-authored three text books on popular astronomy: 2008 Yearbook of Astronomy, edited by Sir Patrick Moore
– (Pan Macmillan); More Small Astronomical Observatories, edited by Sir Patrick Moore
– (Springer
); and The Science and Art of CDD Astronomy, edited Ratledge – (Springer
)
He has published numerous articles in: Astronomy Now
; Sky and Telescope (US); The Star Observer (Austria); Sky at Night
; Journal of the British Astronomical Association; The Astronomer
; and Nature (US).
In 2008 he was awarded the Merlin Medal by the British Astronomical Association
in recognition of his contribution to the advancement of astronomy. In 2008 the International Astronomical Union
named asteroid
(7648) Tomboles in recognition of his contribution to astronomy. He received the ‘George Alcock
Award’ from The Astronomer Magazine. He presented the Inaugural Thomas Tannahill Memorial lecture in 2009 at the request of the Astronomical Society of Glasgow. He co-authored a research paper of Supernovae in Nature Magazine in 2007 – http://www.nature.com/search/executeSearch?sp-a=sp1001702d&sp-sfvl-field=subject%7Cujournal&sp-q-min-1=&sp-q-max-1=&sp-q-1=&sp-q-9=&sp-x-9=&sp-p-1=phrase&sp-q=*&sp-p=all&sp-q-2=&sp-x-2=uaui&sp-p-2=any&sp-q-3=&sp-x-3=title&sp-p-3=any&sp-q-4=447&sp-x-4=uvolume&sp-q-5=&sp-x-5=uissue&sp-q-6=829&sp-x-6=ustartpage&sp-d=custom&sp-x-10=pubday&sp-q-10=14&sp-x-11=pubmonth&sp-q-11=06&sp-x-12=pubyear&sp-q-12=2007&sp-start-day=&sp-start-month=&sp-start-year=&sp-end-day=&sp-end-month=&sp-end-year=&sp-date-range=&sp-s=0&sp-c=10&sp-q-8=&sp-x-8=udoiNature, 447, 829-832, 14 June 2007 ]
Boles’s Television broadcasts include: Co-presenting BBC Tomorrow’s World and guest appearances on: BBC The Sky at Night
; BBC Final Frontiers; BBC All Night Star Party (from Jodrell Bank
); BBC Astronomers and ITV Vera Productions. Radio Broadcasts include: Radio 2; Suffolk Radio; BBC Essex; Radio Northampton; Three Counties Radio; Radio Scotland; World Radio (Netherlands) and BBC Citizen Science.
Boles holds a Bachelor’s Degree in biochemistry from the Open University
. He held director level appointments over a period of 18 years with four multinational computer companies. He retired in 2001 to dedicate himself to astronomy work and to help with the public Outreach of astronomy.
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...
, author, broadcaster and former communications and computer engineer. He currently holds the record of spotting the most supernovae by one person: 125 supernovae. As of 2003, Boles and Mark Armstrong are the "most successful exploding star hunters in history." He broke the record after discovering his 124 supernova '2009ij', followed by supernova number 125 '2009io' a few nights later. The previous record holder was Professor Fritz Zwicky
Fritz Zwicky
Fritz Zwicky was a Swiss astronomer. He worked most of his life at the California Institute of Technology in the United States of America, where he made many important contributions in theoretical and observational astronomy.- Biography :Fritz Zwicky was born in Varna, Bulgaria to a Swiss father....
, who discovered 123 supernovae before his death in 1974. The record was unbroken for 36 years.
Boles has also discovered a nova
Nova
A nova is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion in a star caused by the accretion of hydrogen on to the surface of a white dwarf star, which ignites and starts nuclear fusion in a runaway manner...
in the Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
and the 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...
(84417) Ritabo. Boles manages a private astronomical observatory http://www.coddenhamobservatories.org in Coddenham
Coddenham
Coddenham is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located to the north of the A14 road, the parish also includes the hamlet of Coddenham Green. In 2005 its population was 570....
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
He was President of the British Astronomical Association
British 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...
from 2003 to 2005 and Vice President from 2005 to 2007. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
and a member of Commission 28 of the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
(IAU). He is an Examinations Moderator in astronomy with the International Baccalaureate.
Boles has co-authored three text books on popular astronomy: 2008 Yearbook of Astronomy, edited by Sir Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
– (Pan Macmillan); More Small Astronomical Observatories, edited by Sir Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
– (Springer
Springer Science+Business Media
- Selected publications :* Encyclopaedia of Mathematics* Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete * Graduate Texts in Mathematics * Grothendieck's Séminaire de géométrie algébrique...
); and The Science and Art of CDD Astronomy, edited Ratledge – (Springer
Springer Science+Business Media
- Selected publications :* Encyclopaedia of Mathematics* Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete * Graduate Texts in Mathematics * Grothendieck's Séminaire de géométrie algébrique...
)
He has published numerous articles in: Astronomy Now
Astronomy Now
Astronomy Now is a monthly British magazine on astronomy and space. It features a mix of articles ranging from how to observe the night sky to the latest discoveries in the Solar System and in deep space. The first issue of Astronomy Now was published in April 1987 by Intra Press, initially as a...
; Sky and Telescope (US); The Star Observer (Austria); Sky at Night
BBC Sky at Night
BBC Sky at Night magazine is a British monthly magazine about astronomy aimed at amateur astronomers and published by BBC Magazines Bristol. The title of the periodical derives for the likenamed Television program produced by the BBC, The Sky at Night. The magazine, in comparison with the TV...
; Journal of the British Astronomical Association; The Astronomer
The Astronomer
The Astronomer may refer to:* Vita Hludovici or the "Limousin Astronomer", the anonymous author of the Vita Hludovici, a biography of Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious...
; and Nature (US).
In 2008 he was awarded the Merlin Medal by the British Astronomical Association
British 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...
in recognition of his contribution to the advancement of astronomy. In 2008 the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
named 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...
(7648) Tomboles in recognition of his contribution to astronomy. He received the ‘George Alcock
George Alcock
George Eric Deacon Alcock was an English astronomer. He was one of the most successful visual discoverers of novae and comets....
Award’ from The Astronomer Magazine. He presented the Inaugural Thomas Tannahill Memorial lecture in 2009 at the request of the Astronomical Society of Glasgow. He co-authored a research paper of Supernovae in Nature Magazine in 2007 – http://www.nature.com/search/executeSearch?sp-a=sp1001702d&sp-sfvl-field=subject%7Cujournal&sp-q-min-1=&sp-q-max-1=&sp-q-1=&sp-q-9=&sp-x-9=&sp-p-1=phrase&sp-q=*&sp-p=all&sp-q-2=&sp-x-2=uaui&sp-p-2=any&sp-q-3=&sp-x-3=title&sp-p-3=any&sp-q-4=447&sp-x-4=uvolume&sp-q-5=&sp-x-5=uissue&sp-q-6=829&sp-x-6=ustartpage&sp-d=custom&sp-x-10=pubday&sp-q-10=14&sp-x-11=pubmonth&sp-q-11=06&sp-x-12=pubyear&sp-q-12=2007&sp-start-day=&sp-start-month=&sp-start-year=&sp-end-day=&sp-end-month=&sp-end-year=&sp-date-range=&sp-s=0&sp-c=10&sp-q-8=&sp-x-8=udoiNature, 447, 829-832, 14 June 2007 ]
Boles’s Television broadcasts include: Co-presenting BBC Tomorrow’s World and guest appearances on: BBC The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show has had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first airing on 24 April 1957, making it the longest-running programme with the same presenter in television history.The...
; BBC Final Frontiers; BBC All Night Star Party (from Jodrell Bank
Jodrell Bank
The Jodrell Bank Observatory is a British observatory that hosts a number of radio telescopes, and is part of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester...
); BBC Astronomers and ITV Vera Productions. Radio Broadcasts include: Radio 2; Suffolk Radio; BBC Essex; Radio Northampton; Three Counties Radio; Radio Scotland; World Radio (Netherlands) and BBC Citizen Science.
Boles holds a Bachelor’s Degree in biochemistry from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
. He held director level appointments over a period of 18 years with four multinational computer companies. He retired in 2001 to dedicate himself to astronomy work and to help with the public Outreach of astronomy.