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{{Short description|British South African astronomer (1939–2023)}}{{For|the American astronomer|Brian D. Warner}}{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}

factoids

| birth_place = Crawley Down, Sussex, England20230505df=y}}| death_place = South Africa

• Astronomy
• History of astronomy

{edih}

• University College London
• Balliol College, Oxford
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Cape Town

{edih}

• University College London ( BSc, PhD)
• University of London (DSc)
• University of Oxford (DSc)

{edih}| thesis_title = Abundances in Late-Type Stars| thesis_year = 1964| doctoral_advisor = Roy Henry Garstang

• Ed Nather
• Tim Hawarden

{edih}

• John F.W. Herschel Medal (1988)
• Gill Medal (1992)
• Science-for-Society Gold Medal (2004)

}}list=Royal Society of South Africa>size=100%}}}}Brian Warner (25 May 1939 – 5 May 2023) {{Post-nominals|list=Hon. FRSSAf}} was a British South African optical astronomer who was Emeritus Distinguished Professor of natural philosophy at the University of Cape Town. Warner’s research included cataclysmic variable stars, pulsars, degenerate stars and binary stars. He also researched and published on the history of astronomy in South Africa.

Biography

Early life and education

Warner was born 25 May 1939 in Crawley Down, Sussex, England. His father was a gardener on a country estate and his mother was a charwoman.BOOK, Legends of South African Science, Academy of Science of South Africa, 2017, 978-0-9947076-7-3, Pretoria, 220–223, en, Brian Warner, 10.17159/assaf.2016/0012, 20.500.11911/74,research.assaf.org.za/bitstream/handle/20.500.11911/74/BRIAN%20WARNER.PDF?sequence=19&isAllowed=y, PDF, free, 26 February 2023, 24 October 2022,web.archive.org/web/20221024081338/https://research.assaf.org.za/bitstream/handle/20.500.11911/74/BRIAN%20WARNER.PDF?sequence=19&isAllowed=y, live, He didn’t pass his eleven-plus exam, failing in mathematics, but was nonetheless admitted to the East Grinstead County Grammar School on the recommendation of his teacher. As a schoolboy he befriended the noted amateur astronomer Patrick Moore who lived nearby in East Grinstead where Warner and his friends would use Moore’s telescope.NEWS, Barker, Dennis, Dennis Barker, 2012-12-09, Sir Patrick Moore obituary, The Guardian, London,www.theguardian.com/science/2012/dec/09/sir-patrick-moore, 1756-3224, 26 February 2023, 29 December 2022,web.archive.org/web/20221229133418/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/dec/09/sir-patrick-moore, live, Warner went to University College London (UCL) in 1958 to study undergraduate astronomy. As a student, he was able to use the University of London Observatory. His first two papers were published in 1960, shortly before he graduated. The first in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association on rilles near the lunar crater Pluto, the second in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on the emission spectra of Venus.JOURNAL, Warner, B., 1960, Rilles near the Lunar Crater Plato, Journal of the British Astronomical Association, 70, 299–300, JOURNAL, Warner, B., 3 September 1960, The Emission Spectrum of the Night Side of Venus, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 121, 3, 279–283, 10.1093/mnras/121.3.279, free, Warner remained at UCL for postgraduate studies, completing a PhD in astronomical spectroscopy in 1964 titled Abundances in Late type Stars. His doctoral supervisor was Roy Henry Garstang.THESIS, Warner, Brian, Abundances in Late-Type Stars, 1964, PhD, University College London, For his thesis research he travelled to the Radcliffe Observatory in Pretoria, South Africa, to use the observatory’s {{Convert|1.9|m|ft|abbr=on}} telescope.

Career

Warner became a postdoctoral researcher at UCL, before being awarded a Radcliffe-Henry Skynner Fellowship at Balliol College, Oxford, though the university didn’t have its own observatory. In 1967 he was recruited to the University of Texas at Austin for his experience in spectroscopy.JOURNAL, 1992-01-01, Award of Gill Medal to Brian Warner,ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992MNSSA..51..106., Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, 51, 106, 1992MNSSA..51..106., 0024-8266, Astrophysics Data System, free, 26 February 2023, 25 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230225200443/https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992MNSSA..51..106., live, He also worked with his colleagues Ed Nather and David Evans in developing the new field of high-speed photometry for studying variable stars and measuring stellar radii by observing lunar occultations.BOOK, Warner, Brian,archive.org/details/highspeedastrono0000warn, High Speed Astronomical Photometry, Cambridge University Press, Internet Archive, 1988, 978-0-521-35150-8, 45–46, JOURNAL, Winget, Don E., Don Winget, Bash, Frank, Robinson, Edward L., 2018-01-31, R. Edward Nather (1926–2014),baas.aas.org/pub/r-edward-nather-1926-2014/release/1, live, Bulletin of the AAS, en, American Astronomical Society, 50, 1,web.archive.org/web/20230225001004/https://baas.aas.org/pub/r-edward-nather-1926-2014/release/1, February 25, 2023, February 25, 2023, In 1972 he was recruited as the first professor of astronomy at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and as head of the astronomy department. Nather also moved to UCT to undertake a PhD, with Warner as his doctoral supervisor. From 1981 to 1983, he served as president of the Royal Society of South Africa.JOURNAL, Carruthers, Jane, 2008, Scientists in society: The Royal Society of South Africa,www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00359190809519207, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, en, 63, 1, 24, 10.1080/00359190809519207, 2008TRSSA..63....1C, Taylor & Francis, 82514574, 26 February 2023, 17 June 2022,web.archive.org/web/20220617000808/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00359190809519207, live, Warner was head of the astronomy department until 1999, before formally retiring in 2004 though he continued to undertake research.JOURNAL, Glass, I. S., April 2020, News Note : Brian Warner at 80,www.mnassa.org.za/html/Apr2020/2020MNASSA..79..Apr.pdf, Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, 79, 1–4, 5–7, 2020MNSSA..80....5G, 10520/EJC-1dd2d2192b, 0024-8266, Sabinet, 26 February 2023, 29 January 2022,web.archive.org/web/20220129014544/https://www.mnassa.org.za/html/Apr2020/2020MNASSA..79..Apr.pdf, live, Warner died 5 May 2023 aged 83.WEB, In Remembrance: Brian Warner,www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2023-05-10-in-remembrance-brian-warner, 2023-06-15, University of Cape Town, en, 19 May 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230519063735/https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2023-05-10-in-remembrance-brian-warner, live,

Awards and honours

• McIntyre Award (1983) of the Astronomical Society of Southern AfricaJOURNAL, August 1983, McIntyre Award Winner 1983 (B Warner),ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1983MNSSA..42...17., Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, 42, 5–8, 17, 1983MNSSA..42...17., 0024-8266, free, 26 February 2023, 25 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230225195356/https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1983MNSSA..42...17., live,
• The John F.W. Herschel Medal (1988) of the Royal Society of South AfricaWEB, Awardees,www.royalsocietysa.org.za/index.php/awardees/, 2023-02-26, Royal Society of South Africa, en, 26 December 2022,web.archive.org/web/20221226164401/https://www.royalsocietysa.org.za/index.php/awardees/, live,
• South Africa Medal (1989) of the Southern African Association for the Advancement of ScienceWEB, List of award winners: South Africa Medal (Gold),s2a3.org.za/joomla/index.php/awards/south-africa-medal-gold, 2023-02-26, Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science, 8 February 2022,www.s2a3.org.za/joomla/index.php/awards/south-africa-medal-gold," title="web.archive.org/web/20220208232228www.s2a3.org.za/joomla/index.php/awards/south-africa-medal-gold,">web.archive.org/web/20220208232228www.s2a3.org.za/joomla/index.php/awards/south-africa-medal-gold, live,
• Gill Medal (1992) of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa
• Honorary fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (1994)JOURNAL, 1994-01-01, Warner Honoured,ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1994MNSSA..53Q..42., Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, 53, 42, 1994MNSSA..53Q..42., 0024-8266, Astrophysics Data System, free, 26 February 2023, 26 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230226065613/https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1994MNSSA..53Q..42., live,
• Honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (1995)JOURNAL, 1995, RASNZ Honors Warner,ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995MNSSA..54S.106., Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, 54, 11&12, 106, 1995MNSSA..54S.106., 0024-8266, Astrophysics Data System, free, 26 February 2023, 26 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230226065558/https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995MNSSA..54S.106./abstract, live,
• Science-for-Society Gold Medal (2004) of the Academy of Science of South AfricaWEB, ASSAf Science-for-Society Gold Medals – ASSAf,www.assaf.org.za/2014/06/05/special-gold-medals/, 2023-02-25, en-US, 25 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230225191934/https://www.assaf.org.za/2014/06/05/special-gold-medals/, live, JOURNAL, 2005-02-01, In Brief,physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.2405562, Physics Today, 58, 2, 82, 2005PhT....58b..81., 10.1063/1.2405562, 0031-9228, 26 February 2023, 26 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230226065554/https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.2405562, live,
• Honorary fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa (2008)WEB, Current Fellows,www.royalsocietysa.org.za/index.php/current-fellows/, 2023-02-26, Royal Society of South Africa, en, 26 December 2022,web.archive.org/web/20221226164359/https://www.royalsocietysa.org.za/index.php/current-fellows/, live, NEWS, 28 April 2008, Honorary Fellowships for Ellis, Warner, 27, 4, Monday Paper, University of Cape Town, 6,www.news.uct.ac.za/images/archive/news.uct.ac.za/monpaper/mp28_20.pdf, 26 February 2023, 26 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230226065557/https://www.news.uct.ac.za/images/archive/news.uct.ac.za/monpaper/mp28_20.pdf, live,
• Honorary doctorate from the University of Cape Town (2009)NEWS, 14 December 2009, Stellar academics Ellis and Warner receive high honours, 28, 2, Monday Paper, University of Cape Town, 20,www.news.uct.ac.za/images/archive/news.uct.ac.za/monpaper/mp28_20.pdf, 26 February 2023, 26 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230226065557/https://www.news.uct.ac.za/images/archive/news.uct.ac.za/monpaper/mp28_20.pdf, live,
• Honorary fellow of University College London (2009)WEB, 2022-09-22, List of Honorary Fellows,www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/honorary-awards/list-honorary-fellows, 2023-02-26, University College London, en, 1 January 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230101114235/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/honorary-awards/list-honorary-fellows, live,
• Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (2009)WEB, Warner, Brian,twas.org/directory/warner-brian, 2023-02-26, The World Academy of Sciences, en, 26 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230226065554/https://twas.org/directory/warner-brian, live,

Books

Authored

• BOOK, Warner, Brian,archive.org/details/astronomersatroy00warn, Astronomers at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, A. A. Balkema, 1979, 978-0-86961-109-8, Cape Town,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian, Charles Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer Artist: His Cape Years 1835–1845, A. A. Balkema, 1983, 0-86961-133-X, Cape Town,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian, Maclear and Herschel: Letters and Diaries at the Cape of Good Hope, 1834–1938, Warner, Nancy, A. A. Balkema, 1984, 0-86961-145-3, Cape Town,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian,archive.org/details/highspeedastrono0000warn, High Speed Astronomical Photometry, Cambridge University Press, 1988, 978-0-521-35150-8,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian, Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, 1820–1831: The Founding of a Colonial Observatory, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995, 0-7923-3527-9, Dordrecht,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian, Cataclysmic Variable Stars, Cambridge University Press, 1996, 0-511-58649-3,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian, Dinosaurs’ End: Scientific Poems, Firfield Pamphlet Press, 1996, 1-875058-06-0, Cape Town,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian, Flora Herscheliana: Sir John and Lady Herschel at the Cape 1834 to 1838, Rourke, John, 1998, Brenthurst Press, 0-909079-55-2, Houghton,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian, Cape Landscapes: Sir John Herschel’s Sketches 1834–1838, University of Cape Town Press, 2006, 1-919713-75-1,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian, Scatological Verse, Snailpress, Illustrated by Tony Grogan, 2007, 978-0-620-38273-1, Plumstead,

Edited

• BOOK, Franklin, Jane, The Journal of Lady Jane Franklin at the Cape of Good Hope, November 1836, Friends of the South African Library, 1985, 0-620-08355-7, Warner, Brian, Cape Town, Jane Franklin, Warner, Nancy,
• BOOK, Mann, William, The Cape Diary and Letters of William Mann, Astronomer and Mountaineer: 1839–1843, 1989, Friends of the South African Library, 0-86968-093-5, Warner, Brian, Cape Town,
• BOOK, Herschel, Margaret Brodie Stewart, Lady Herschel: Letters from the Cape, 1834-1838, Friends of the South African Library, 1991, 0-86968-098-6, Warner, Brian, Cape Town,
• BOOK, Variable Stars and Galaxies, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 1992, 0-937707-49-X, Warner, Brian, San Francisco,
• BOOK, John Herschel 1792–1992: Bicentennial Symposium, Royal Society of South Africa, 1992, 0-9583958-1-0, Warner, Brian,
• BOOK, Festschrift in honour of Frank R. Bradlow, Friends of the South African Library, 1993, 0-86968-109-5, Westra, Pieter E., Cape Town, Warner, Brian,
• BOOK, Cape Workshop on Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 1995, 1-886733-06-6, Buckley, D. A. H., San Francisco, Warner, Brian,
• BOOK, Warner, Brian, Astronomy in South Africa, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995, Dordrecht,

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

• JOURNAL, Ellis, George, George F. R. Ellis, 2023-08-08, Brian Warner (1939–2023): Astronomer, historian and academic leader,sajs.co.za/article/view/16307, South African Journal of Science, en, 119, 7/8, 10.17159/sajs.2023/16307, 260690773, 1996-7489, free,

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