William Henry Finlay
William Henry Finlay | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 June 1849 |
| Died | 7 December 1924 (aged 75) |
| Education | Trinity College, Cambridge University of the Cape of Good Hope |
| Known for | Periodic comet 15P/Finlay |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
William Henry Finlay (FRAS) (17 June 1849, in Liverpool – 7 December 1924, in Grahamstown, South Africa) was a South African astronomer. He was First Assistant at the Cape Observatory from 1873 to 1898 under Edward James Stone. He discovered the periodic comet 15P/Finlay. Earlier, he was one of the first to spot the "Great Comet of 1882" (C/1882 R1). The first telegraphic determinations of longitude along the western coast of Africa were made by Finlay and T. F. Pullen.