William Pearson (astronomer)

[3] An original proprietor of the Royal Institution, Pearson finished a planetarium in 1803 that illustrated Dr. Thomas Young's lectures.

After establishing an observatory there, he measured the diameters of the sun and moon during the partial solar eclipse of 7 September 1820, with one of John Dollond's divided object-glass micrometers.

After leaving East Sheen in 1821, William erected an observatory at South Kilworth that possessed a 36-inch focal-length altazimuth telescope, originally constructed by Edward Troughton for the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

The observatory was also equipped with a 42-inch focal-length achromatic refractor by Tulley, a transit circle by William Simms, and a clock by Hardy.

Assisted by a village mathematician named Ambrose Clarke, Pearson began the reobservation and computation of the 520 stars tabulated for occultations in his Practical Astronomy during the same year.

He died on 6 September 1847 at South Kilworth, and a tablet honoring his memory in the church recognizes the respect earned by his exemplary conduct as a clergyman and magistrate.

William Pearson married Frances Low on 22 February 1796 at St Swithun, East Retford, Nottinghamshire.

[14] William Pearson's grave was restored in 2019 to coincide with this event, with funding from South Kilworth Parish Council and the Royal Astronomical Society.