September 15, 2008
A Bridge Too Far
 image from The New Moon |
Hugh Percy Wilkins was the last traditional Moon mapper, drawing large maps of the entire Moon. He also was the first to draw an entire hemispheric map using photographs as a base, with visually observed details added. In 1955 Wilkins was forced to resign as Director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association following very critical reviews of one of his popular books - was it Mysteries of Space and Time? - and his unfortunate association with O'Neill's Bridge. Ironically, 1955 was also the year of publication of his greatest work, The Moon, written with Patrick Moore. The current issue of the BAA's The New Moon honors Wilkins' life and lunar work, with a strong attempt to rehabilitate his reputation. Phil Morgan's article provides facts and images that I was unaware of. The issue can be freely downloaded. Yesterday's LPOD: Youmoon Tomorrow's LPOD: Mountains From the Sky |
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