. . . they rejoiced with exceeding great joy
(Matthew 2:10).
OB Charles Piazzi Smyth (1827-1835)
Charles Piazzi Smyth was born in Naples in 1819. His father, Admiral William Henry Smyth, was a keen amateur astronomer, who named his son after Piazzi, the Sicilian Astronomer and encouraged his interest in the family’s Bedford observatory – the finest observatory in England at the time.
In 1845 at the age of just 26, Piazzi Smyth was appointed Astronomer Royal for Scotland, and also Professor of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. It was while working as Astronomer Royal of Scotland in the nineteenth century, that Piazzi Smyth pioneered the practice of high altitude observation. After finding that the polluted skies of Edinburgh obscured the stars, he decided to take state-of-the-art telescopes to Tenerife, Spain in 1856, climbing to altitudes of over 10,000 feet (approximately 3,000 metres). His scientific training alongside his superb photography, scientific recording and drawings, clearly demonstrated why observatories should be at high altitude. It is through this work he can be said to have pioneered today’s practice of positioning telescopes on mountain tops to obtain better observations.
As astronomer for Scotland, Piazzi Smyth also created the lasting legacy of the One o’Clock Gun service from Edinburgh castle. However, Piazzi Smyth’s life was also filled with controversy. Obsessed by the pyramids of Egypt and the mystical pseudo-science of pyramidology, he is the only person to have resigned his fellowship of the Royal Society, after they refused to publish his papers on this subject.
As his gravestone plaque attests:
“Astronomer Royal for Scotland from 1845 to 1888, who earned unperishing renown by his journeys to distant lands for scientific objects, and by his eminent astronomical and other scientific writings and researches. As bold in enterprise as he was resolute in demanding a proper measure of public sympathy and support for astronomy in Scotland. He was not less a living emblem of pious patience under troubles and afflictions, and he has sunk to rest, laden with well-earned scientific honours, a bright star in the firmament of ardent explorers of the works of their creator.”
Today, in his honour, the Bedford School Observatory bears his name and encourages future Old Bedfordians to follow in his footsteps in aiming for the stars.
Read more about Bedford School’s Piazzi Smyth Observatory.
Observing the Orion Nebula
If you would like to observe the Orion Nebula for yourself, this is the perfect time of year to do so. The constellation is noticeable for three medium-bright stars in a short, straight row. These stars represent Orion’s Belt. If you look closely, you’ll notice a curved line of stars ‘hanging’ from the three Belt stars. These stars represent Orion’s Sword. Look for the Orion Nebula about midway down in the Sword of Orion.
As a general rule, the higher the constellation Orion is in the sky, the easier it is to see the Orion Nebula. In the UK, Orion is due south and highest in the sky around midnight in mid-December. We recommend, as would Piazzi Smyth, that you get as far as possible from light sources of any kind, and, ideally, find a high point for your observation.
If you would like to take an even closer look through one of our telescopes, the Bedford Astronomical Society warmly invite you to join them on one of their open observing nights in January and February 2022. Their details can be found below.
