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Frank Bateson, OBE, (October 31, 1909 - April 16, 2007) was a New Zealand astronomer who specialized in the study of variable stars. Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... // The following is a list of notable deaths in 2007. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 61 days remaining. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... An astronomer or astrophysicist is a person whose area of interest is astronomy or astrophysics. ...

Frank Maine Bateson was born in Wellington on October 31, 1909 and studied in Australia and New Zealand. His interest in astronomy developed during his school years in Sydney, Australia;^[1] in 1927, at the age of 18, he founded the Variable Star Section (VSS) of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand. He remained as Director of the VSS until 2004.^[2] This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. ...

Under his lead, the VSS observed variable stars and collated reports on stars from both professional and amateur observers throughout the world and was known worldwide for its work in the field of variable stars.^[1] He was associated with the VSS until his death. He and his wife, Doris, formed a non-profit organization called Astronomical Research Ltd. which administers the over 1,000,000 observations which have been delivered to the VSS by amateur and professional astronomers worldwide since the onset of the program.

He served in World War II with New Zealand's Home Naval Service, then after the war moved to Rarotonga, Cook Islands where he worked until 1960. In 1957 he was elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands, the first person of European heritage to be so elected.^[3] He spent much of his career working in the business field while pursuing his astronomical interests as a hobby. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Rarotonga Island from space, September 1994 View of a Rarotongan beach. ... The Parliament of the Cook Islands or Legislative Council has 24 members, elected for a five year term in single-seat constuencies The parliament building of the Cook Islands that used to be a hotel. ...

Bateson was instrumental in the founding of the Mount John University Observatory in Tauranga, assisting the University of Canterbury in finding an appropriate location for the observatory.^[2] Bateson was appointed Astronomer-in-Charge of the observatory after it opened in 1963; he held this position until his retirement in 1969. Mount John University Observatory (MJUO), New Zealands premier astronomical observatory, is situated at 1,031 meters (3,382) ASL atop Mount John at the northern end of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island of New Zealand. ... Tauranga (population 109,100 — 2006 census) is the largest city of the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... This page is about the New Zealand University. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...

Bateson has also authored or co-authored over 300 scientific papers.^[1] He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (RASNZ) in 1963. He served on the society's council for a number of years, including one year as president. He was an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.^[4] Bateson was also a member of the International Astronomical Union and served as its first representative from New Zealand. He received the Jackson-Gwilt Medal and Prize of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1960 and an honorary doctorate from the University of Waikato in 1979. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1970 for services to astronomy and the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in 1980. The asteroid 2434 Bateson was named in his honour.^[1]. The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research (mainly carried on at the time by gentleman astronomers rather than professionals). ... The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is the Canadian equivalent of the British Royal Astronomical Society, which began informally in the 1800s, but received a royal charter in 1903 from King Edward VII. The society incorporated nationally in 1968, prior to which its incorporation was limited to Ontario. ...

Frank Bateson died on April 16, 2007, in Wellington, New Zealand.

Further reading

• Paradise Beckons by Frank M. Bateson. Heritage Press, 1989. ISBN 0-908708-13-0.

Notes