Mary Acworth Evershed facts for kids

Mary Acworth Evershed (born Mary Orr) was a British astronomer and a scholar who studied the famous writer Dante Alighieri. She was born on January 1, 1867, and passed away on October 25, 1949. She often wrote about Dante using the name M.A. Orr.

Early Life and Early Interests

Growing Up

Mary Acworth Orr was born in Plymouth Hoe, England, on January 1, 1867. Her father was an officer in the Royal Artillery. Mary spent her childhood in places like Wimborne and South Stoke in Somerset.

Discovering Dante

When Mary was 20 years old, she traveled to other countries with her sisters. While in Florence, Italy, from 1888 to 1890, she started studying the works of Dante. This led to her lifelong interest in how Dante mentioned astronomy in his poems.

Her Work in Astronomy

Starting in Australia

In 1890, Mary moved to Australia with her family. She noticed there wasn't a good guide for people wanting to learn about the stars in the Southern Hemisphere. So, she wrote a book called An Easy Guide to the Southern Stars. A leading Australian astronomer, John Tebbutt, encouraged her to write it.

Joining the Astronomical Community

Mary moved back to England in 1895. She met another British astronomer, John Evershed, during an expedition to see a total solar eclipse in Norway in 1896. After this, Mary joined the British Astronomical Association (BAA). At that time, the BAA allowed women to join, unlike the Royal Astronomical Society, which was only for men. She became friends with other important women astronomers like Agnes Clerke and Annie Scott Dill Maunder.

Life in India

Mary married John Evershed in 1906. John was offered a job as an assistant astronomer at Kodaikanal Observatory in India. So, Mary and John moved to Kodaikanal in 1907, visiting important astronomy places in the United States on their way.

While in India, Mary collected many plants from the area. These plants were later given to the British Museum. Mary also helped by creating an index for the observatory's library. In 1909, she measured the positions and heights of solar prominences from photos taken at the observatory. She also joined her husband on an astronomy trip to Srinagar in Kashmir in 1915.

Later Achievements

In 1916, Mary was chosen to be a member of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. On May 9, 1924, she became a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. From 1930 to 1944, she led the Historical Section of the British Astronomical Association.

Throughout her life, Mary Evershed traveled to many places to see solar eclipses. These included Norway in 1896, Algiers in 1900, Western Australia in 1922, Yorkshire in 1927, and Greece/Aegean Sea in 1936.

Her Study of Dante

Mary Evershed was also very interested in poetry, especially the works of Dante. She was curious about how Dante described the universe in his writings. Her 1914 book, Dante and the Early Astronomers, helped explain Dante's scientific ideas, showing how accurate they were for his time.

Awards and Recognition

• 1924 – She became a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
• 1971 – A small planet, 12628 Acworthorr, was discovered and named after her.