Samuel Molyneux facts for kids

Samuel Molyneux (born July 16, 1689 – died April 13, 1728) was a British astronomer and politician. He was a member of the British House of Commons and the Irish House of Commons. Molyneux is best known for his important work with James Bradley. Together, they tried to measure how stars appear to shift, which led to a big discovery called the aberration of light. This discovery was the first clear proof that Earth actually moves around the Sun, confirming ideas from scientists like Copernicus and Kepler.

Early Life and Education

Samuel Molyneux was born in Chester, England, in 1689. His father, William Molyneux, was famous for his work with optics, which is the study of light. Samuel's mother was Lucy Domville.

Samuel went to Trinity College Dublin for his education. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), in 1708. Two years later, in 1710, he completed his Master of Arts (MA). In 1712, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a group of top scientists.

Discovering the Aberration of Light

Molyneux is most famous for his astronomy work with James Bradley. They wanted to measure something called stellar parallax. This is the tiny shift in a star's position that happens as Earth moves around the Sun. Other scientists, like Robert Hooke, had tried to find this shift but couldn't.

Molyneux had a lot of patience and resources for his research. He decided to study a star called Gamma Draconis. This star passes directly overhead in London, which helps reduce how much Earth's atmosphere affects its position.

He ordered new, larger telescopes for his work. He also hired James Bradley, who was an expert in astronomy and math. From December 1725 to late 1727, Bradley and Molyneux made over 80 observations. Their measurements were incredibly precise, more accurate than any done before with telescopes.

They were surprised to find that instead of a simple shift, the star seemed to wobble. Bradley also found similar wobbles in about 200 other stars using a different telescope. Molyneux passed away shortly before Bradley figured out what was happening. Bradley realized that the wobbling was due to the aberration of light. This means that the apparent position of a star changes slightly because of Earth's motion and the speed of light.

Political Career

Besides his scientific work, Samuel Molyneux was also involved in politics. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the British Parliament for several areas:

• Bossiney in Cornwall (1715 to 1722)
• St Mawes (1726 to 1727)
• Exeter (1727 to 1728)

He also worked as a Secretary to the Prince of Wales from 1715 to 1727. Later, he became a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, helping to manage the British Navy, from 1727 to 1728. At the same time, he also represented Dublin University in the Irish House of Commons from 1727 to 1728.

Later Life and Passing

Samuel Molyneux married Lady Elizabeth Capel in 1717. In 1728, he became ill while in the House of Commons. He passed away in April of that year in Kew. His work with James Bradley left a lasting mark on astronomy, providing key evidence for Earth's movement in space.