Contents
Charles Pritchard
Measuring stellar brightness and testing photographic astronomy.
Uranometria Nova Oxoniensis · Photographic parallax
- Born
- 29 February 1808
- Birthplace
- Shropshire
- Died
- 28 May 1893
More people
Charles Pritchard
British astronomer, clergyman and school reformer who became Oxford’s Savilian professor. Used photometry and photography in systematic observations of stars.
Early life
Education
Studied at Merchant Taylors’ School and Poplar Academy before graduating from St John’s College, Cambridge, in 1830.
Career
- 1834
School leadership
Founded Clapham Grammar School with science in its curriculum.
- 1870
Oxford astronomy
Became Savilian professor and helped establish the university observatory.
- 1882
Stellar survey
Began measuring stars with a wedge photometer.
Contributions
Uranometria Nova Oxoniensis
Published brightness measurements for 2,784 stars.
Photographic parallax
Tested photographs as a tool for measuring stellar distances.
Beyond work
Faith and family
An ordained clergyman who wrote about science and religion. His son Charles Bradley Pritchard became an administrator in British India.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and career ↗Biographical references ↗Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
Photo: Ada Pritchard (Life time: 1930). PD-US · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.