Hi all,
Not sure where to place this thread, so if it isn't in the correct forum, mods please change.
I was researching the craters of a sketch I completed last night and I came across the name of one of them as being Brisbane. Sir Thomas Brisbane, after whom the crater is named, was an astronomer AND the sixth Governor of NSW, straight after Macquarie, and after whom the City of Brisbane is named!
Dead set, I never expected to be enlightened on Australian history by way of a lunar sketch. What a marvelous connection!
And fancy that, a major city of Australia named after an astronomer, albeit from his role as Governor of the new colony.
Thomas Brisbane was also responsible for sponsoring James Dunlop, and for building the first observatory at Parramatta. Dunlop's contribution to astronomy was to discover hundreds of DSO's. Dunlop was Brisbane's "assistant", as Brisbane was who held the title of astronomer, but it was Dunlop who did the work while Brisbane tended to his responsiblities as Governor. Fellow IIS'er, glenc, has done much work on James Dunlop. Glen's got a thread and article going on the
Dunlop 150 objects in the Obs forum in case you'd like to see which objects were first discovered out in Parramatta, one of which is Centaurus A.
I just had to share this little bit of history. I'll post the sketch which led to this 'discovery' shortly.
Mental.