April 25, 2008

In Today's One Minute Astronomer...

Leslie Peltier: "World's Greatest" Amateur Astronomer

A thumbnail sketch of Leslie Peltier (1900-1980), a man once named “the world's greatest non-professional astronomer”. His book Starlight Nights is a must-read for anyone who loves the stars.

The Basics

• Peltier grew up on a farm near Delphos, Ohio. His parents were uncommonly well read and provided him a home filled with books. Young Peltier learned much about the flora and fauna around his farm, and became a lifelong naturalist.

• The sight of the Pleiades and the 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet seeded his interest in astronomy. But it was not until he was 15 years old that he realized he knew much of the natural world around his farm, yet could not name a single star in the sky. He resolved to learn more.

• That summer, Peltier picked 900 quarts of strawberries to earn $18 for his first telescope, a 2” brass-tube refractor which he called “The Strawberry Spyglass”.

• He saw many wonders with his small telescope. His interest turned to variable stars and he soon joined the AAVSO. Peltier tried unsuccessfully for 2 hours on an icy late-winter night to find his first variable star. But he kept at it, and made his first observation of R Leonis on March 1, 1918.

A Deeper Look

• Once established as a skilled observer, the great Henry Norris Russell of Princeton loaned him a 6-inch refractor, a short focus telescope ideal for comet seeking. Peltier used it to tally a record that included the discovery of 12 comets, 6 novae, and 132,123 variable star observations.

• Though Peltier was a shy person who rarely left Delphos, he was widely recognized during his lifetime. Articles about him appeared in popular magazines such as Reader's Digest and Newsweek.

• His home now bears an historical plaque recognizing his accomplishments.

Good To Know

In Peltier's own words… “Were I to write out one prescription designed to alleviate at least some of the self-made miseries of mankind, it would read like this: “One gentle dose of starlight to be taken each clear night just before retiring.”

Personal View

As famed comet hunter David Levy once said, “Many books explain how to observe the sky; Starlight Nights explains why." In a way, Leslie Peltier is the patron saint of One Minute Astronomer.