The Bedford Catalogue: A Cycle of Celestial Objects: 002

William H. Smyth lived from 1788 to 1865. After retiring from the Royal Navy in 1825, he settled in Bedford, England, and started building what was then the finest private observatory in that country. During the 1830's Smyth observed a hugh variety of deep-sky objects, including clusters, nebulae, double stars, and much else. From these observations he wrote 'The Bedford Catalogue, Volume 2 of a Cycle of Celestial Objects which appeared in 1844. For this work the Royal Astronomical Society awarded Smyth its gold medal and elected him president.