William Frederick Archdall Ellison facts for kids

Reverend William Frederick Archdall Ellison (born April 28, 1864 – died December 31, 1936) was an amazing Irish person who loved many things! He was a clergyman (a church leader), a scholar who studied the Hebrew language, and even an organ player. Most importantly, he was a very skilled amateur telescope maker. From 1918 to 1936, he was the director of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland. His son, Mervyn A. Ellison, also became a famous astronomer.

Early Life and Education

William Ellison was born in Ireland in 1864. His father was also a church leader. William went to Trinity College, Dublin in 1883. He studied classics and experimental science there. After graduating in 1887, he became a clergyman in 1890. He moved to England to work in churches.

Becoming an Astronomer

Ellison became very interested in astronomy. He learned how to make lenses and mirrors for telescopes. A doctor named N. Alcock helped him learn about optics. Ellison even built his first observatory in Wexford, Ireland.

He joined the British Astronomical Association in 1913. He became very good at making telescopes. He wrote many books and articles about it. His work appeared in the Amateur Telescope Making series. He also wrote for the Journal of the British Astronomical Association. In 1918, he became a member of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The Amateur's Telescope

In 1920, Ellison wrote a famous book called The Amateur's Telescope. This book is still important for people who want to build their own telescopes. It helped many people learn how to make these amazing tools.

Leading the Armagh Observatory

On September 2, 1918, Ellison became the Director of the Armagh Observatory. The observatory was not in good shape when he arrived. He worked hard to fix the instruments and the observatory dome.

He even gave one of his own telescopes to the observatory. This was an 18-inch reflecting telescope. It is still at the observatory today!

Observing the Stars

Ellison was a very respected observer of planets and binary stars. Binary stars are two stars that orbit each other. He worked with his son Mervyn to measure many binary stars. They used the observatory's 10-inch refractor telescope. He even found a new binary star near Beta Lyrae.

He was also one of the few people to see a rare event. On February 28, 1919, he observed an eclipse of Saturn's moon Iapetus. The moon was hidden by Saturn's outermost ring!

Later Life

In 1934, Ellison became a high-ranking church official in Armagh Cathedral. He continued to lead the Armagh Observatory for almost 20 years. He passed away on December 31, 1936.