Nathaniel Bliss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Reverend
Nathaniel Bliss
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Reverend Nathaniel Bliss
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| Born | 28 November 1700 Bisley, Gloucestershire, England
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| Died | 2 September 1764 (aged 63) Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
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| Resting place | St. Margaret's, Lee, South London |
| Nationality | English |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy, mathematics |
| Institutions | Oxford University |
Nathaniel Bliss (born November 28, 1700 – died September 2, 1764) was an important English astronomer. He lived in the 1700s and held a very special job. He was Britain's fourth Astronomer Royal from 1762 to 1764.
Bliss studied at Oxford University. He later became the Savilian Professor of Geometry. This was a big role in mathematics. He made important observations of a comet and a solar eclipse. These observations were useful for solving the longitude problem. This problem was about finding your exact position on Earth.
Contents
Life and Education
Nathaniel Bliss was born in a village called Bisley in Gloucestershire, England. This area is known as the Cotswolds. His father, also named Nathaniel Bliss, was a clothier.
Bliss went to Pembroke College, Oxford to study. He earned his first degree in 1720. He then got his master's degree in 1723. Soon after, he got married.
Becoming a Professor
In 1736, Bliss became a rector at St Ebbe's Church in Oxford. In February 1742, he became the Savilian Professor of Geometry at Oxford University. He took over this role from Edmond Halley, a very famous astronomer.
A few months later, in May 1742, Bliss was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society. This is a group of top scientists. As a professor, he taught many subjects. These included arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. He also taught about using logarithms and surveying tools.
Astronomer Royal
In 1762, Bliss became the fourth Astronomer Royal. This was a very important position. He followed James Bradley, another famous astronomer. However, Bliss held this job for only two years. He died unexpectedly in 1764.
He passed away in Oxford. But he was buried near Edmond Halley. His grave is in St Margaret's churchyard in Lee, south-east London. The first few Astronomers Royal, including Bliss, did not get a large salary. They usually had their own money. This changed after Bliss. The next Astronomer Royal, Nevil Maskelyne, received a good salary. This allowed him to focus fully on the job.
In the year 2000, a crater on the Moon was named after Bliss. This was done to remember his important work as Astronomer Royal.
Important Observations
Nathaniel Bliss worked with George Parker, the Earl of Macclesfield. The Earl had his own observatory at Shirburn Castle. In 1744, Bliss made meridian observations of a comet. He did this at Shirburn Castle and at the Greenwich Observatory.
Working at Greenwich
Bliss also worked with James Bradley at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. In June 1761, Bradley was not well. So, Bliss took over the observations for the transit of Venus. A transit of Venus is when Venus passes directly in front of the Sun.
His assistant at the Royal Observatory was Charles Green. After Bliss died, Green continued his work. He kept going until the next Astronomer Royal was chosen. In April 1764, Bliss observed an annular solar eclipse. This type of eclipse was visible from Greenwich.
Solving the Longitude Problem
Many of the observations Bliss made were very helpful. They were useful for solving the longitude problem. This problem was about finding your exact east-west position at sea. It was very important for making maps and for ships navigating the ocean.
Because his observations were so valuable, the Board of Longitude bought them. They bought them from his wife, Elizabeth Bliss. His observations from Greenwich were not published right away. They were finally included in a book in 1805. This book was about Bradley's observations.
