William Lower (astronomer) facts for kids

Sir William Lower (born 1570, died 1615) was an English astronomer and a member of Parliament. He was one of the first people to use a telescope to study the sky.

Sir William Lower: Stargazer and Politician

Sir William Lower was born in Cornwall, England, in 1570. He went to Exeter College, Oxford to study. After finishing his education, he got married and settled down in South-west Wales.

Looking at the Stars

Sir William Lower was very interested in the sky and what was happening in space. He lived during a time when telescopes were just starting to be used.

Halley's Comet Observations

In 1607, he carefully watched Halley's comet as it passed by Earth. He took many notes and measurements. He shared these with his friend, Thomas Harriot, who was also a famous scientist.

From their work, they figured out that the comet was not moving in a straight line. Instead, it was following a curved path. Sir William Lower even thought that the comet's path might follow Kepler's laws. These laws describe how planets move around the Sun. This was a very new idea at the time, as most people thought comets just moved in straight lines or were just weather in the sky.

Observing the Moon

Thomas Harriot gave Sir William Lower a telescope. Using this new tool, Lower made many observations of the Moon. He noticed that the Moon's surface was not smooth. He described it as looking "like a tart that my cooke made me last weeke," meaning it was bumpy and uneven. Just a few weeks later, another famous astronomer, Galileo, published similar observations about the Moon.

Life in Politics

Besides being an astronomer, Sir William Lower was also involved in politics. He was elected to the English Parliament.

• In 1601, he represented the area of Bodmin.
• From 1604 to 1611, he represented Lostwithiel.

In 1603, he was given the special title of "Knight."

Family Life

Sir William Lower married a woman named Penelope Perrot. Her parents were Sir Thomas Perrot and Dorothy Devereux. Sir William and Penelope had three sons and one daughter together.

After Sir William Lower passed away in 1615, Penelope married again. Her second husband was Sir Robert Naunton. Penelope and Sir Robert had a daughter, also named Penelope. This younger Penelope later married Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke.