Captain James Cook
Captain Crook was an English navigator and explorer in the Royal Navy. He originally started in the merchant navy and studied maths and astronomy before joining the navy.
In his early naval career he also became an expert cartographer mapping the River Lawrence in Canada.
It was known that there would be a transit of Venus in 1769 and that it would provide an ideal opportunity to study Venus as it crossed the sun. In addition by observing the transit from three different places on the earth it would be possible to estimate the distance between the earth and the sun.
James Cook was chosen to captain a ship to Tahiti in the Pacific for one of sites to be used. Because of his experiences with collier ships he chose to take a Whitby built colliery ship on the voyage called the Endeavour.
Cook not only captained the expedition but used his knowledge of astronomy to be one of three people who observed the transit and took measurements on the island.
He later went on to search for the fabled southern continent. Although not totally successful he did map the east coast of Australia and claimed it for Britain. Cook also tested a copy of a timekeeper, or sea clock, designed by John Harrison. Its successful performance meant that Cook and all future navigators were able to fix longitude much more accurately than before.
He also explored the seas around Antarctica and searched for the elusive North West Passage in the seas around Canada.
He was killed in Hawaii after a dispute with the islanders over a stolen boat escalated into a fight.
He is regarded as the UKs finest navigator and explorer.
Cook’s Extraterrestrial Connections
Asteroid 3061 Cook
3061 Cook (1982 UB1) is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 21, 1982 by Bowell, E. at Flagstaff (AM). There is little information available but this website will tell you a little more.
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Lunar Crater Crook
Cook is a lunar crater that lies in the western part of the Mare Fecunditatis, just to the southeast of the prominent crater Colombo. To the southwest is Monge.
The interior of this crater has been flooded with lava, leaving only a low rim projecting above the surface. This rim is not quite circular, and has a somewhat hexagonal appearance. The low wall is worn in a few places, particularly along the northeastern rim. There is a tiny craterlet called Cook A on the interior floor near the southeast rim.
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Mars Crater Endeavour
Mars Endeavour Crater is an impact crater on Mars that was visited by Mars Exploration Rover-B Opportunity on August 9 2011. This web site has more information and a photograph of the crater.
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The crater is named after the ship that Captain Cook used on his first voyage of exploration including taking measurements of the Venus transit of the sun in 1769. It has a diameter of 22 kilometres and a depth of 300 metres.
The Venus Transit of the Sun
Although nothing to do with Venus is named after him, Cook is closely associated with the transit of Venus across the sun in 1769.
There were multiple international scientific experiments during the transit. Most importantly by taking measurements at 3 different locations it was hoped that it would be possible to calculate the distance of the earth from the sun.
His personal measurements formed an integral part of the collation of the results of observations from around the world.
At the time limitations in the equipment used meant that there was some disappointment in the accuracy of the calculations but in fact the calculated distance from the earth to the sun is only .08 percent different to measurements taken using the most modern and advanced scientific equipment.
This time around scientists are hoping that information from monitoring the transit will help in the hunt for exoplanets.
This website gives information about another transit that happened in 2012.
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The next transit will not take place until 2117.
The statue of Captain Cook
This statue is one of eight standing at each corner of the octagonal Palm House Building in Sefton Park.
"Sefton Park in Liverpool is arguably the best known and most loved by locals. Classified as a Grade One listed park by English Heritage, the magnificent 200-acre Park looks like a natural landscape rather than a man-made park. In spring the sight of millions of golden daffodils around the lake draws residents from across the city and carpets of bluebells give an impression of rural permanence.
The park features many distinctive curved paths and driveways and beech and other indigenous British trees abound. Amongst the park's many features are a boating lake, replica statues of Eros and Peter Pan and a café. The park is also home to the famous Palm House, a fabulous glass-panelled building that has been restored to its former glory."
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The Palm House is a Historic England Grade II* Listed Building.
GV II* Palm House, built in 1896, designed by Mackenzie and Moncur. It is octagonal in plan. It has an iron frame on a granite base, with totally glazed openings. It appears as a sequence of three domical roofs, one above the other, including a clerestorey and lantern with a ball finial. The side elevations are of six bays with three round-arched lights and colonnettes to each bay, and ornamental cresting above. There are entrances to the north, south-east and west with barrel-vaulted porches that are enclosed at the sides and have ornamental gates, some with animals or birds. There are statues at each angle by Léon-Joseph Chavalliaud of famous gardeners, explorers and scientists. Flanking the north entrance are A le Notre and J Parkinson; to the east are Mercator and Captain Cook; to the south are Darwin and Linnaeus; and to the west are Henry the Navigator and Columbus."
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The bronze statue shows Captain Cook dressed in historical uniform, wearing a sword and holding a telescope and map in his left hand. There is an inscription on the plinth.
CAPTAIN COOK
JAMES COOK BORN IN CLEVELAND YORKSHIRE FEBY 1728
KILLED BY SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS FEBY 1779
THE EXPLORER OF AUSTRALASIA
"CONSTANTLY AT SEA FROM HIS
YOUTH HE PASSED THROUGH ALL THE
STATIONS BELONGING TO A SEAMAN
FROM AN APPRENTICE BOY IN THE
COAL TRADE TO A POST CAPTAIN IN
THE BRITISH NAVY"