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C.J. Westland and Comet C/1914 S1 (Campbell): A Forgotten Episode in New Zealand Cometary Astronomy

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Exploring the History of New Zealand Astronomy

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Library ((ASSL,volume 422))

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Abstract

New Zealand astronomer C.J. Westland independently discovered a comet on 18 September 1914, just a few hours after its initial sighting by Campbell in South America. Now known as C/1914 S1 (Campbell), this comet is one of a select band of comets known to exhibit sunward-pointing anti-tails. Westland observed and reported on this tail configuration, and obtained a photographic record of it on two different nights. After his discovery of this comet, Westland went on to become a professional astronomer under Dr C.E. Adams for a short time, before working for nine years as the director of a geomagnetic observatory, and then returning to amateur astronomy. Westland’s numerous publications show his wide-ranging astronomical interests, but he is best remembered for his work in cometary astronomy.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Gibbs was the Headmaster of Nelson Central School from 1894 to 1924, and it was while he was a student there that Morley acquired a keen interest in astronomy. In discussing this, Collier (1984) states that Morley “… was one of those men whose exceptional talents were generally concealed from all but those of close acquaintance.” This would explain his participation in the solar observatory survey at so youthful an age and while still a law student at Victoria University in Wellington.

  2. 2.

    Another comet discovered by a New Zealander which also exhibited a conspicuous anti-tail was C/1984 N1 (Austin). Rod Austin (personal communication, 2014) noted that “… at one point the anti-tail was stronger than the main tail.”

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Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the following for their assistance: Rod Austin (New Plymouth, NZ), Dr Grant Christie (Auckland, NZ), Jenni Chrisstoffels (Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ), the late Peter Hingley (former RAS Librarian, London), Mary Markey (Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington), the late Dr Brian Marsden (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, USA) and the late Alan S. Westland (Cheviot, NZ). I also wish to thank John Drummond (Patutahi, NZ) and Rod Austin for reading and commenting on the first draft of this chapter, and the Alexander Turnbull Library, the Royal Astronomical Society (London) and the Smithsonian Institution Archives (Washington) for kindly supplying Figs. 18.7, 18.8 and 18.9.

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  1. National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Wayne Orchiston

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Orchiston, W. (2016). C.J. Westland and Comet C/1914 S1 (Campbell): A Forgotten Episode in New Zealand Cometary Astronomy. In: Exploring the History of New Zealand Astronomy. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 422. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22566-1_18

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