Nathaniel Pigott facts for kids

Nathaniel Pigott (1725–1804) was an English astronomer. He was famous for watching and studying things in space. These included eclipses (when one space object blocks another), transits of Venus and Mercury (when a planet passes in front of the Sun), and comets. He was also a member of important scientific groups like the Royal Society in England and the French Academy of Sciences.

Early Life and Interest in Astronomy

Nathaniel Pigott was born in Whitton, Middlesex, England. His family was well-known. His grandfather, also named Nathaniel Pigott, was a lawyer and a friend of the famous poet Alexander Pope.

Nathaniel Pigott married Anna Mathurina. They lived for some years in Caen, Normandy, in France. This was to help with their children's education. His family traveled a lot around Britain and Europe.

It is not known exactly when Pigott became interested in astronomy. However, he bought excellent tools for observing the sky. These tools came from skilled craftsmen in London. He became known for how well he could observe and calculate things in space.

Key Astronomical Observations

The Academy of Sciences of Caen chose Pigott as a foreign member around 1764. While in Caen, he used a special telescope to watch a partial solar eclipse. This happened on August 16, 1765.

He also observed the transit of Venus on June 3, 1769. This is when Venus passes directly in front of the Sun. He sent his observations to the French Academy of Sciences. He also sent his weather records from Caen (1765-1769) to the Royal Society. He became a member of the Royal Society on January 16, 1772. Pigott was also friends with another famous astronomer, William Herschel.

Mapping the Low Countries

In 1772, Pigott went to Brussels. The government there asked him to find the exact locations of major towns in the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium and Netherlands). This project took five months. He paid for it himself and had help from his son, Edward Pigott, and his servants.

They found the longitude (east-west position) by watching the eclipses of Jupiter's moons. They found the latitude (north-south position) using a special tool called a Bird's quadrant. The Royal Society lent him this tool.

Pigott wrote about this work in a letter to Nevil Maskelyne in 1775. The results were published in the Memoirs of the Brussels Academy of Sciences. He became a foreign member of the Brussels Academy in 1773. He also became a correspondent of the French Academy of Sciences in 1776.

Other Experiments and Discoveries

Pigott took part in an unusual experiment on November 1, 1773. This experiment was in Brussels. They wanted to see how ringing a very large bell affected barometric pressure. The bell weighed 16,000 pounds and was in the Ste. Goedule cathedral.

In 1777, Pigott lived at Frampton House in Glamorganshire, Wales. He set up his own observatory there. It had a transit telescope, a large achromatic telescope, and smaller telescopes. He found the latitude of his observatory. In 1778 and 1779, he discovered some double stars. He and his son Edward also helped to correct maps of many places in the area.

In 1783, he sent a report to the Royal Society. It was about a remarkable meteor he saw near York. A few days after arriving in Leuven, Belgium, he observed the transit of Mercury on May 3, 1786.

Later Life and Legacy

Nathaniel Pigott passed away in 1804 while abroad. His son, Edward Pigott, helped him with many observations. Edward later became a famous astronomer himself.