Mary Adela Blagg
Encyclopedia
Mary Adela Blagg was an English
astronomer
.
She was born in Cheadle, Staffordshire
, and lived her entire life there. Mary was the daughter of a solicitor
, John Charles Blagg, and France Caroline Foottit. She trained herself in mathematics by reading her brother's textbooks. In 1875 she was sent to a finishing school in Kensington
where she studied algebra
and German
. She later worked as a Sunday school teacher and was the branch secretary of the "Girls' Friendly Society".
By middle age she became interested in astronomy after attending a university extension course, taught by Mr. J. A. Hardcastle. Her tutor suggested working in the area of selenography, particularly on the problem of developing a uniform system of lunar nomenclature
. (Several major lunar
maps of the period had discrepancies in terms of naming the various features.)
In 1905 she was appointed by the newly formed International Association of Academies
to build a collated list of all of the lunar features. She worked with Mr S. A. Saunder on this very tedious and lengthy task, and the result was published in 1913. Her work produced a long list of discrepancies that the association would need to resolve. She also performed considerable work on the subject of variable stars, in collaboration with Professor H. H. Turner. These were published in a series of ten articles in the Monthly Notices, in which the Professor admitted that the large majority of the work had been performed by Mary Blagg.
After the publication of several research papers for the Royal Astronomical Society
, she was elected as a fellow in 1916, after being nominated by Professor Turner. She was the first woman to be allowed entry into that society.
In 1920, she joined the Lunar Commission of the newly formed International Astronomical Union
. They tasked her with continuing her work on standardizing the nomenclature. For this task she collaborated with Karl Müller (1866–1942), a retired government official and amateur astronomer. (The crater Müller
on the Moon was subsequently named after him.) Together they produced a two volume set in 1935, titled Named Lunar Formations, that became the standard reference on the subject.
During her life she performed volunteer work, including caring for Belgian
refugee children during World War I
. One of her favorite hobbies was chess. She was described in her obituary as being of "modest and retiring disposition, in fact very much of a recluse", and rarely attended meetings.
The crater Blagg
on the Moon
is named after her.
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...
.
She was born in Cheadle, Staffordshire
Cheadle, Staffordshire
Cheadle is a small market town near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, with a population of 12,158 according to the 2001 census. It is roughly from the city of Stoke-on-Trent, north of Birmingham and south of Manchester...
, and lived her entire life there. Mary was the daughter of a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
, John Charles Blagg, and France Caroline Foottit. She trained herself in mathematics by reading her brother's textbooks. In 1875 she was sent to a finishing school in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
where she studied algebra
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. She later worked as a Sunday school teacher and was the branch secretary of the "Girls' Friendly Society".
By middle age she became interested in astronomy after attending a university extension course, taught by Mr. J. A. Hardcastle. Her tutor suggested working in the area of selenography, particularly on the problem of developing a uniform system of lunar nomenclature
Planetary nomenclature
Planetary nomenclature, like terrestrial nomenclature, is a system of uniquely identifying features on the surface of a planet or natural satellite so that the features can be easily located, described, and discussed. The task of assigning official names to features is taken up by the International...
. (Several major lunar
Moon
The 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...
maps of the period had discrepancies in terms of naming the various features.)
In 1905 she was appointed by the newly formed International Association of Academies
International Association of Academies
The International Association of Academies was an academy designed for the purpose of linking the various Academies around the world, of which the first meeting was held in Paris, France, in 1900. The first president was M. J. de Goeje, a Dutch Orientalist....
to build a collated list of all of the lunar features. She worked with Mr S. A. Saunder on this very tedious and lengthy task, and the result was published in 1913. Her work produced a long list of discrepancies that the association would need to resolve. She also performed considerable work on the subject of variable stars, in collaboration with Professor H. H. Turner. These were published in a series of ten articles in the Monthly Notices, in which the Professor admitted that the large majority of the work had been performed by Mary Blagg.
After the publication of several research papers for 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...
, she was elected as a fellow in 1916, after being nominated by Professor Turner. She was the first woman to be allowed entry into that society.
In 1920, she joined the Lunar Commission of the newly formed 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...
. They tasked her with continuing her work on standardizing the nomenclature. For this task she collaborated with Karl Müller (1866–1942), a retired government official and amateur astronomer. (The crater Müller
Müller (lunar crater)
Müller is a lunar impact crater. It is located in the highlands near the center of the Moon, in the center of the triangle formed by the much larger craters Albategnius, Ptolemaeus, and Hipparchus. To the east lies Halley, while to the northwest is Gyldén....
on the Moon was subsequently named after him.) Together they produced a two volume set in 1935, titled Named Lunar Formations, that became the standard reference on the subject.
During her life she performed volunteer work, including caring for Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
refugee children during World War I
World War I
World 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...
. One of her favorite hobbies was chess. She was described in her obituary as being of "modest and retiring disposition, in fact very much of a recluse", and rarely attended meetings.
The crater Blagg
Blagg (crater)
Blagg is a tiny lunar impact crater located on the Sinus Medii. It is a circular, breast-shaped crater with no appreciable erosion. To the east-southeast is the irregular crater Rhaeticus, and to the northeast lies Triesnecker....
on the Moon
Moon
The 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...
is named after her.