Bertrand Meigh Peek
Encyclopedia
Bertrand Meigh Peek M.A. F.R.A.S.
(1891 – 1965) was a British
astronomer
.
Peek used an observatory at Solihull, Birmingham
, England
, from 1923 until 1947 to make a series of observations (with notes published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.) The observatory was dismantled in 1947. Among the targets of his observations was the planet Jupiter
, and he served as director of the Jupiter Section of the British Astronomical Association
(BAA). From 1930 until 1931 he also directed the Mars Section of the BAA. He served as president of the BAA from 1938 until 1940.
In 1958 he published The Planet Jupiter, a treatise on the giant planet
based on visual observations of the planet by the Jupiter Section of the BAA. (A revised version of this book was published in 1981.)
Based on notes provided by his son Brian to the BAA, Bertrand Peek:
The Moon crater Peek
is named after him.
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...
(1891 – 1965) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
.
Peek used an observatory at Solihull, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
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...
, from 1923 until 1947 to make a series of observations (with notes published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.) The observatory was dismantled in 1947. Among the targets of his observations was the planet Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, and he served as director of the Jupiter Section 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...
(BAA). From 1930 until 1931 he also directed the Mars Section of the BAA. He served as president of the BAA from 1938 until 1940.
In 1958 he published The Planet Jupiter, a treatise on the giant planet
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
based on visual observations of the planet by the Jupiter Section of the BAA. (A revised version of this book was published in 1981.)
Based on notes provided by his son Brian to the BAA, Bertrand Peek:
- was a three-time winner of the Cambridge mathematics prize;
- was a Cambridge tennis champion;
- was a team member of the Anglo-Soviet chess match;
- served as a Major in the Hampshire Regiment during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
; - was a yachtsman;
- composed music;
- was knowledgeable in early radio technology.
The Moon crater Peek
Peek (crater)
Peek is a small lunar impact crater that is located in the northern part of the Mare Smythii near the eastern limb of the Moon. This part of the lunar surface is subject to the effects of libration, and the crater can be hidden from sight during an unfavorable libration. Even when visible, however,...
is named after him.