William Bayly (astronomer) facts for kids

William Bayly (1737–1810) was a smart English astronomer. He studied the stars and helped explore the world. Bayly went on important sea voyages with Captain James Cook, collecting valuable information about the Earth and sky.

Early Life and Learning

William Bayly was born in a village called Bishops Cannings in Wiltshire, England. His family were farmers, so William spent his early years working on the farm. Even though he was busy with farm work, he loved learning.

A kind tax collector in a nearby village offered to teach him. From this person, William learned the basics of math. Later, a gentleman from Bath named Mr. Kingston heard about William's interest in numbers and helped him even more.

William then became a teacher's helper, called an usher, at a school near Bristol. He later took a similar job at another school. During this time, he always looked for chances to learn more about math.

Becoming an Astronomer

William Bayly's talent was noticed by Nevil Maskelyne, who was the top astronomer in England at the Royal Observatory. Maskelyne hired Bayly as his assistant.

In 1769, a special event called a transit of Venus happened. This is when the planet Venus passes directly in front of the Sun. The Royal Society sent Bayly all the way to North Cape, Norway to watch and record this event. His observations were later published in a science journal.

Voyages with Captain Cook

William Bayly joined famous explorer Captain James Cook on two of his amazing voyages around the world.

Second Voyage (1772-1775)

In 1772, Bayly and another astronomer named William Wales sailed with Captain Cook on his second journey. Their mission was to explore the southern parts of the world. They sailed on two ships, the Resolution and the Adventure. This trip started on June 13.

Third Voyage (1776-1780)

Bayly also joined Cook's third and final voyage. This time, they sailed on the Resolution and the Discovery. They left England on July 14, 1776. During this journey, Captain Cook sadly died in Hawaii. The voyage ended in 1780. On these trips, Bayly's job was to make important astronomical observations, which helped create better maps and understand the Earth's position.

Later Career and Legacy

In 1785, William Bayly became the head teacher at the Royal Academy in Portsmouth. He held this important position until 1807. When the Royal Naval College was created, he retired with a good pension.

William Bayly died in Portsea, Portsmouth, near the end of 1810. He was a generous person, and he even donated the organ to the church in his hometown.

Published Works

William Bayly wrote down his important observations and findings in several books and papers:

• 'Astronomical Observations made at the North Cape for the Royal Society by Mr. Bayley [sic]', Philosophical Transactions, 59, 262.
• The Original Astronomical Observations made in the course of a Voyage towards the South Pole … by W. Wales and W. Bayly … by order of the Board of Longitude, 1777.
• Original Astronomical Observations made in the course of a Voyage to the Northern Pacific Ocean. … in the years 1776–1780, by Capt. J. Cooke, Lieut. J. King, and W. Bayly … by order of the Board of Longitude, 1782.