William Radcliffe Birt

William Radcliffe Birt (1804–1881) was an English amateur astronomer in the 19th century. His name is used for the Birt crater, a minor crater on the Moon. Birt worked extensively with John Herschel, carrying out a great deal of meteorogical research on atmospheric waves, from 1843 to 1850. A lot of his work is held in the Scientist's Collection at the American Philosophical Society.

The lunar crater Birt is named after him.

Further reading

• Forbes, Eric (1970–80). "Birt, William Radcliff". Dictionary of Scientific Biography 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-684-10114-9. 
• Obituary in MNRAS, (1882), v. 42, p. 142-144.

External links

• Vladimir Jankovic, 'John Herschel's and William Radcliffe Birt's research on atmospheric waves'
• Scientists Collection
• Works by William Radcliffe Birt at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about William Radcliffe Birt at Internet Archive