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Following the latest BAA Webinar on Comets presented just by Nick James, Denis Buczynski posed the question on what the significant connection is between these two characters.
Apart from their names being very similar with the same number of letters too, I think Hubble spent time as a postgraduate student at Oxford University in the 3 years running up to the First World War and Holmes died in 1919, so they must have interacted during those few pre-war years.
Am I getting warm, Denis?
Richard
Denis – They were both awarded the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Donohoe Comet Medal: Holmes in 1893 and Hubble in 1937.
Richard you must have cheated by looking up the names on the internet, I had hoped that the answer would have resided in your memory! Ah well, you win. Next time I see you at a meeting I will bring your prize , a 16×20 inch mounted print of Comet Arend Roland taken by Reggie Waterfield in April 1957 (when you were still a boy) Yes you are correct. The Donohoe medal was awarded over 250 times by the ASP and there are so many famous names amongst the recipients. I have written an article for the upcoming editon of The Comet’s Tale about this and other comet medals.
No, not really! Well done Richard! The competition was a great idea Denis. My thinking was that Holmes was infamous for his vitriolic letters which he sent to all and sundry over many years. He rubbed many people up the wrong way through this and I was thinking that Hubble might have been a recipient. But I was obviously barking up the wrong tree!
Great webinar Nick!
Denis – As I was mulling over the Web, I remembered that Hubble had discovered comets and that’s what led me to it. BUT, when I saw the name Donohoe, I have a recollection of you mentioning this fact many moons ago whilst propping up the bar at either a Winchester Weekend or similar get-together. Do you recall that? I wasn’t the only one present with you either!
As to the mounted 16″x20″ photograph, that would be a splendid prize for sure but I think a more deserving and younger recipient should win that item at some future date. In the meantime, a free beer would serve just fine – it may be a long wait yet before we rub shoulders whilst propped against some public bar or other and I can down that beer!
P.S. Yes – I like the webinar format – it works well and Nick had loads of interesting stuff to show and talk about. Well done. I have to confess it’s my first one as a spectator – mainly ‘cos I used my Windows 10 laptop to view it – my main PC has too ancient an OS for it to run Zoom.
Richard, so the answer was in your memory bank. You are one of the few people who must have listened to anything I say! I will buy you that beer next time we meet. I will have to think up a more difficult and obscure question next time and make sure I haven’t already plied you with the answer!
Denis
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