Welcome to Peredur Williams's home page
Research on Wolf-Rayet stars, especially members of colliding-wind binaries, and their carbon dust formation, X-ray and non-thermal radio emission — such as the prototype WR140, the long-period system WR48a, and the maverick Apep. |
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I am studying the third Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Ralph Copeland (1837-1905). He lived an adventurous early life, leaving England to join the Australian gold rush when he was 15 and then worked on a sheep farm. He returned to Britain, worked as a locomotive engineer and then went to the University of Göttingen, where he gained a PhD. He participated in the Second German North Polar expedition, working on a preliminary geodetic survey, and adding to the food supply with his rifle. On his return, he took positions in Ireland, first at Lord Rosse's observatory at Birr Castle and then at Dunsink. From 1876-1888, he worked at Lord Crawford's observatory at Dun Echt, Aberdeenshire. During this time, he made an expedition to study observing conditions in South America, making observations at Puno on Lake Titicaca and at Vincocaya (elev. 14,360 ft). In 1889, he was appointed Astronomer Royal for Scotland in succession to Charles Piazzi Smyth and played a major part in moving the Royal Observatory Edinburgh from Calton Hill to Blackford Hill. There is a small bibliography here. |
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Institute for Astronomy
Royal Observatory Blackford Hill Edinburgh EH9 3HJ United Kingdom |
Contact:
email: pmw [at] roe.ac.uk |