Captain Cook’s astronomy
TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS AGO, in March 1770, Lieutenant James Cook of the British Royal Navy was busy mapping the coastline of New Zealand during the first of his three great voyages. Thanks to these voyages, which crisscrossed the Pacific Ocean east to west and north to south, Captain Cook (as he later became) is widely recognised as one of the greatest explorers of all time. Fewer people know that astronomy also played a major role in his life and expeditions.
Cook observed transits of Venus and Mercury across the face of the Sun, a number of solar and lunar eclipses, lunar occultations (including one of Saturn) and comets. Most important, he became extraordinarily skilled at the astronomical observations necessary for determining his local time, latitude and longitude.
The roots of Cook’s astronomical career can be traced back to 1758, when he served in the British Royal Navy in Canada. A chance meeting with a surveyor piqued his interest, and on his own initiative, Cook started learning the skills necessary for surveying. Due to the high quality of his charts and the influence of some friends in high places, Cook was assigned to
