George Darwin (1845-1912),British astronomer. Son of eminent natural historian Charles,Darwin studied law before settling on a career in astronomy. As professor of astronomy and experimental philosophy at Cambridge University,England,he studied tidal effects on the planets. He also worked on the three-body problem,specifically the interactions between the Sun,Moon and Earth. Although some of his conclusions have now been disproved,he is still considered a pioneer,having been the first to apply mathematics to describe the evolution of the Sun- Moon-Earth system. He won the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1892,and served as president of the society from 1899-1900 |