Walter Frederick Gale
Encyclopedia
Walter Frederick Gale was an Australian banker. Gale was born in Paddington, Sydney
. He had a strong interest in astronomy
and built his first telescope
in 1884.
He discovered a number of comet
s, including the lost periodic comet 34D/Gale
. He also discovered some double star
s. In 1892 he described oases
and canals on Mars. He was awarded the Jackson-Gwilt Medal
of the Royal Astronomical Society
in 1935 for "discoveries of comets and his work for astronomy in New South Wales
."
A crater
on Mars, Gale Crater, was named in his honor. It was selected as the 2012 landing site for the Curiosity Rover
.
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
. He had a strong interest in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and built his first telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
in 1884.
He discovered a number of comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s, including the lost periodic comet 34D/Gale
34D/Gale
Comet Gale is a periodic comet in the Solar System discovered by Walter Frederick Gale on June 7, 1927.The second apparition was calculated for 1938, but Gale failed to find it, however, it was recalculated by Leland E...
. He also discovered some double star
Double star
In observational astronomy, a double star is a pair of stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth when viewed through an optical telescope. This can happen either because the pair forms a binary star, i.e...
s. In 1892 he described oases
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
and canals on Mars. He was awarded the Jackson-Gwilt Medal
Jackson-Gwilt Medal
The Jackson-Gwilt Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society has been awarded regularly since 1897 for the invention, improvement, or development of astronomical instrumentation or techniques; for achievement in observational astronomy; or for achievement in research into the history of astronomy.The...
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...
in 1935 for "discoveries of comets and his work for astronomy in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
."
A crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
on Mars, Gale Crater, was named in his honor. It was selected as the 2012 landing site for the Curiosity Rover
Mars Science Laboratory
The Mars Science Laboratory is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration mission with the aim to land and operate a rover named Curiosity on the surface of Mars. The MSL was launched November 26, 2011, at 10:02 EST and is scheduled to land on Mars at Gale Crater between August 6 and 20, 2012...
.