Edward Pigott facts for kids

Edward Pigott (1753–1825) was a British astronomer. He is famous for helping to start the study of "variable stars." These are stars that change how bright they appear from Earth.

Who Was Edward Pigott?

Edward Pigott was born in 1753. His father, Nathaniel Pigott, was also an astronomer. Edward studied in France, as his mother was from Louvain, Belgium. In 1781, his family moved to York, England.

Friendship with John Goodricke

Edward Pigott had a special friendship with John Goodricke. Goodricke was a distant cousin and also a talented astronomer. Even though Edward was much older, they worked together. Sadly, Goodricke passed away very young, at just 21, in 1786.

Discovering Variable Stars

Pigott's main work was studying variable stars. In 1784, he shared an important discovery with the Royal Society. He had found a new variable star called Eta Aquilae. He first identified this star in 1783.

Edward also wrote letters to other famous astronomers. These included William Herschel and Nevil Maskelyne. He moved to Bath in 1796.

Honoring Edward Pigott

Edward Pigott's contributions to astronomy are remembered. An Asteroid is named after him and his father. It is called 10220 Pigott.

There is also an observatory named in his honor. The Goodricke-Pigott Observatory is named after him and his friend Goodricke. It is located in Tucson, Arizona.