Patrick Wayman facts for kids
Patrick Wayman was an English astronomer who loved studying the stars. He was born on October 8, 1927, and passed away on December 21, 1998. For many years, from 1964 to 1992, he was the director of the famous Dunsink Observatory in Ireland.
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Wayman
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| Born | 8 October 1927  Bromley |
| Died | 21 December 1998 (aged 71) County Dublin |
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| Doctoral advisor | Edward Linfoot |
| Doctoral students | Hugh Patrick Deasy |
Contents
Patrick's Early Life and Learning
Patrick Arthur Wayman was born in Bromley, England, on October 8, 1927. He had a twin brother. He went to the City of London School from 1937 to 1945. After that, he studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge from 1945 to 1948. He earned his degree in mathematics and physics in 1948. Later, in 1953, he completed his PhD at Cambridge University. His research was about how special lenses could be used in astronomy.
A Career Among the Stars
Patrick Wayman's journey in astronomy took him to many places.
- From 1950 to 1952, he worked at observatories in Cleveland and at Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin, USA.
- In 1952, he returned to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (RGO) in England. He became the head of the solar department in 1955, studying the Sun.
- He and his family then moved to South Africa. There, he worked at the Cape Observatory and the Radcliffe Observatory in Pretoria.
- In 1960, he came back to the RGO. He became the head of the meridian department, which helps measure star positions.
Leading Dunsink Observatory
In 1964, Patrick Wayman took on a very important role. He became a senior professor at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). At the same time, he became the director of Dunsink Observatory in Ireland. He stayed in this position until 1992. In 1967, he also became the director of the school of cosmic physics at DIAS.
A fellow astronomer, Tao Kiang, said that Wayman "changed the face of astronomy in Ireland." While at Dunsink, Patrick Wayman made many improvements. He added new computer and electronics equipment. He also helped Dunsink connect with other observatories around the world.
International Astronomy Projects
Patrick Wayman helped connect Dunsink with observatories like the Boyden Observatory in South Africa. They worked together on a special telescope called the Armagh–Dunsink–Harvard (ADH) telescope, installed in 1952.
Later, he helped Ireland join a big international project. This project built a large observatory on La Palma in the Canary Islands. He was very interested in new camera technology and tools for observing space. He also studied how planets and galaxies move.
Preserving Astronomy History
Patrick Wayman cared a lot about the history of astronomy. He made sure that old parts of Dunsink Observatory were fixed.
- In 1985, the dome shutters were restored.
- In 1987, the South telescope was fixed.
- In 1988, the 12-inch Grubb refractor telescope was restored.
He also wrote a book called Dunsink observatory, 1785–1985 – a bicentennial history in 1987.
Working with Other Astronomers
Patrick Wayman was involved in many important groups.
- In 1974, he helped start the Astronomical Science Group of Ireland.
- He was a member of the International Astronomical Union. He served as its general secretary from 1979 to 1982. During this time, he helped Chinese astronomers rejoin the Union after 20 years. He also helped set up a permanent office for the Union in Paris.
- From 1966, he was a member of the Royal Irish Academy. He served on its council and led committees for astronomy and the history of science. He was also a vice-president from 1978 to 1979.
- In 1982, he became an associate of the Royal Astronomical Society.
- In 1984, he became an honorary professor at Trinity College Dublin.
- In 1993, the National University of Ireland gave him an honorary science degree.
Patrick's Family Life
On June 19, 1954, Patrick Wayman married Mavis McIntyre Smith Gibson. She also worked in astronomy at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. They had two daughters, Sheila and Karen, and a son, Russell.
After he retired in 1992, he moved to Wicklow town. He continued to be involved with Dunsink Observatory. He was working on a book about telescope makers Thomas Grubb and Howard Grubb when he passed away in Dublin on December 21, 1998.
