Astronomer. Son of a Derby maltster, he left the free school of Derby because of ill health. He interested himself in astronomy and read all he could buy or borrow on the subject. He observed a partial solar eclipse on September 12, 1662 and attempted the construction of measurement instruments. He accurately calculated the solar eclipses of 1666 and 1668. He was responsible for one of the earliest recorded sightings of the planet Uranus, which he mistook for a star and catalogued as 34 Tauri. Became acquainted with Isaac Newton at Cambridge in about 1670, entered the university and took the degree of MA four years later by letters patent. He was appointed "astronomical observator" by Charles II on March 4, 1675 at a salary of one - hundred pounds per annum, during which that year he was also ordained. In 1684 Lord North presented him with the living of Burstow in Surrey. During the latter part of his life he was in disagreement with Newton over the results of their observations, Flamsteed not wishing to publish his results until they could be presented in complete form. But, being a public servant, he had to make known the progress of his observations and was forced to submit. The result, "Historica coelestis", was nonetheless denounced by him as surreptitious, and he set about producing his own monumental work, the "Historica coelestis Britannica", which was only partially published at his death. This contained Flamsteed's observations, and included a catalogue of almost 3,000 stars to much greater accuracy than any prior work. This was considered the first significant contribution to the Greenwich observatory. In 1676, he was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Society. Flamsteed crater on the moon is named after him.
Astronomer. Son of a Derby maltster, he left the free school of Derby because of ill health. He interested himself in astronomy and read all he could buy or borrow on the subject. He observed a partial solar eclipse on September 12, 1662 and attempted the construction of measurement instruments. He accurately calculated the solar eclipses of 1666 and 1668. He was responsible for one of the earliest recorded sightings of the planet Uranus, which he mistook for a star and catalogued as 34 Tauri. Became acquainted with Isaac Newton at Cambridge in about 1670, entered the university and took the degree of MA four years later by letters patent. He was appointed "astronomical observator" by Charles II on March 4, 1675 at a salary of one - hundred pounds per annum, during which that year he was also ordained. In 1684 Lord North presented him with the living of Burstow in Surrey. During the latter part of his life he was in disagreement with Newton over the results of their observations, Flamsteed not wishing to publish his results until they could be presented in complete form. But, being a public servant, he had to make known the progress of his observations and was forced to submit. The result, "Historica coelestis", was nonetheless denounced by him as surreptitious, and he set about producing his own monumental work, the "Historica coelestis Britannica", which was only partially published at his death. This contained Flamsteed's observations, and included a catalogue of almost 3,000 stars to much greater accuracy than any prior work. This was considered the first significant contribution to the Greenwich observatory. In 1676, he was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Society. Flamsteed crater on the moon is named after him.
Bio by: s.canning
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