Samuel Molyneux | |
|---|---|
_appearing_to_give_birth_to_rabbits_in_the_Wellcome_V0014994.jpg) Samuel Molyneux | |
| Born | 16 July 1689 |
| Died | 13 April 1728 (aged 38) |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Aberration of light |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
Samuel Molyneux FRS (16 July 1689 – 13 April 1728) was an amateur astronomer and politician who sat in the British House of Commons between 1715 and 1728 and in the Irish House of Commons from 1727 to 1728. His work with James Bradley attempting to measure stellar parallax led to the discovery of the aberration of light. The aberration was the first definite evidence that the earth moved and that Copernicus and Kepler were correct.[1][2][3] In addition to his astronomical works, Molyneux wrote about the natural history and other features of Ireland.[3] He died in suspicious circumstances.
- ^ Science and Its Times viaWilliam Molyneux Summary. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
- ^ Hirschfeld, Alan (2001). Parallax:The Race to Measure the Cosmos. New York, New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0-8050-7133-4.
- ^ a b "Samuel Molyneux". Ricorso). Retrieved 24 July 2007.