William Ball (astronomer)

William Ball ( * 1627, † 1690; Balle also wrote ) was an English astronomer. His father, Sir Peter Ball (1598-1680) from Mamhead, Devon, was from 1672 1st Baronet ball of Mamhead.

He was a keen astronomer and acquired a 12-foot telescope. As in 1655, the rings of Saturn seemingly disappeared ( from the earth, only the edge of the rings could still be seen ), he realized with his brother Peter, they as a band ( " fascia " ) around the planet. In the same year he found the rotation rate of Saturn.

He was a founding member of the Royal Society and served her on 28 November 1660 to 1663 as treasurer.

1665 saw his colleague Robert Moray, in a summary of Balls observations that there did not seem a ring, but two. This led for a time to believe that Ball has seen the Cassini division. Recent studies of his records could not prove the but.

The lunar crater ball was named after him.

In 1660, he fell from ten meters on hard ground, which gave him life health problems. Therefore, he retired in 1666 returned to his estate in Devon. He married in 1668 Mary Hussey Posthuma and got with her six children. This and the long road to London left him no time for his studies.