author
E. Walter (Edward Walter) Maunder
1851–1928
Best known for the "Maunder Minimum," he helped reveal a long quiet spell in the Sun’s activity and became one of the most influential popularizers of astronomy in late Victorian Britain. His work connected careful solar observing with a gift for bringing the night sky to a wider public.
4 Audiobooks
Are the Planets Inhabited?
by E. Walter (Edward Walter) Maunder
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich: A Glance at Its History and Work
by E. Walter (Edward Walter) Maunder
The Science of the Stars
by E. Walter (Edward Walter) Maunder
The Astronomy of the Bible An Elementary Commentary on the Astronomical References of Holy Scripture
by E. Walter (Edward Walter) Maunder
About the author
Edward Walter Maunder was a British astronomer born in London on April 12, 1851, who spent most of his career at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. He is remembered above all for his studies of sunspots and solar cycles, especially the historical period from about 1645 to 1715 that later came to be known as the Maunder Minimum.
Maunder was also a major force in making astronomy more open and accessible. He helped found the British Astronomical Association in 1890 and served as the first editor of its journal, supporting a community that welcomed amateur observers and, notably for the time, women interested in astronomy. Alongside his research, he wrote widely for general readers and became known for explaining astronomy in a lively, approachable way.
His life and work were closely linked with fellow astronomer Annie Scott Dill Maunder, his wife and collaborator, with whom he joined eclipse expeditions and shared a large body of observational and popular writing. Maunder died on March 21, 1928, leaving behind both an important scientific legacy and a lasting influence on public astronomy.