OBITUARY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 June 1931, Page 5

OBITUARY

MR W. F. DENNINC. FAMOUS AMATEUR ASTRONOMER I United Pr« 88 Association. —Vj Electric AeJegrapn.—copyright.] LONDON, June 10. Tile death has occurred of Mr William Frederick Donning amateur astronomer. [Mr William Frederick Denning, F.R.A.S., since 1877, and Hon. Fe.lovv K.A.S. of Canada, was born in Somerset cn November 2-jth, 1848. He was educated at various schools in Bristol and began the study of astromony in 1805, his chief instruments being 10inch and 12-inch reflectors. He discovered five comets, some new nebulae and made a number of planetary observations. Mr Denning made a special study of the surface markings, rotation periods, and phenomena of Mars Jupieter and Saturn. His principal labour, however, was in the meteoric field, in which he discovered some features never previously recognised, and witnessed a rich, new shower of meteors on June 28th, L9lfl, and pointed out its identity with the periodical comet of Pons-Win necks. He was awarded many prizes and was granted a Civil List pension of £l5O a year in 1804. He was one of the first to discover the new star which appeared on June Bth 1018, and was the absolute discoverer of the new star in Cvgims, August 20th, 1020. I'n ad-* dition to many publications, Mr Dening contributed 120 papers to the Royal Astronomical Society, and numerous articles to scientific journals and newspapers. He was a bachelor.] LADY CULLEN. SYDNEY. June 10. Th death i.s announced of Lady Cullen, wife of Sir William Cullen, a former Chief Justice and LieutenantGovernor of New South Wales, aged 70 years.