The first electrical measurement of starlight was made in Ireland over 100 years starsago by William Henry Stanley Monck. He was a lawyer and philosopher but it is his astronomical achievement of measuring starlight which is commemorated on a plaque at Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.
WHS Monck first measured starlight electrically in 1892
WHS Monck (1839-1915) studied science with distinction at Trinity College Dublin. He trained as a barrister but had strong interests in many other areas from his student days on. He remained particularly active in two of these for much of his life – philosophy and astronomy.
Philosopher
Monck was well-known for his work in philosophy (Greek for love of wisdom), the rational search for the truth about the nature of humankind and the universe. Natural philosophy is considered the precursor of what is now called natural science, especially physics.
He was one of a number of late 19th-century thinkers who went back to dealing with classical philosophical questions, such as how humans perceive our world. He spoke out against George Berkeley, one of Ireland’s most famous philosophers. Berkeley’s early 18th century Essay Toward a New Theory of Vision claims that our thoughts are based only on what we can see and touch in our surroundings. Monck disagreed, but also objected to the contrary view that our ideas about our world are innate.
Astronomer
Monck’s interest in astronomy may have been due to the fact that he grew up near Borris-in-Ossory, Co Laois and as a boy could have seen Lord Rosse’s great telescope. He had a 7
