Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Samuel Molyneux
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quizzes
View of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31, M31).
Astronomy and Space Quiz
Michael Faraday (L) English physicist and chemist (electromagnetism) and John Frederic Daniell (R) British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell.
Faces of Science
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Related Questions
Read Next
Galaxy clusters like Abell 2744 can act as a natural cosmic lens, magnifying light from more distant, background objects through gravity. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope may be able to detect light from the first stars in the universe if they are gravitationally lensed by such clusters. (astronomy, space exploration, galaxies)
How Fast Is the Universe Expanding?
Planet Earth and lunar moon from space
Where Did the Moon Come From?
Union Jack flag of Great Britain, united kingdom
What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
solar eclipse, sun, moon, astronomy, space
How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?
Arrangement of the phases of the moon in total eclipse with Blood Moon
9 Celestial Omens
Discover
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
Title: Senate Square, St. Petersburg, December 14, 1825: repression of the troop mutiny - watercolor by Carl Ivanovitch Kollman, 1825 depicts Decembrist uprising clashing with cavalry, with spectators watching. (new style December 26, 1825) Europe. Saint
8 of the Largest Empires in History
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept
Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”

Samuel Molyneux

British astronomer
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Molyneux
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Quick Facts
Born:
July 18, 1689, Chester, Cheshire, Eng.
Died:
April 13, 1728, Kew, Surrey

Samuel Molyneux (born July 18, 1689, Chester, Cheshire, Eng.—died April 13, 1728, Kew, Surrey) was a British astronomer and politician.

Molyneux received his B.A. (1708) and M.A. (1710) from Trinity College, Dublin. He was elected to the Royal Society in 1712. Besides pursuing a career as an astronomer, he was also active in politics, as a member of both the English parliament (1715, 1726, 1727) and the Irish parliament (1727) and as a lord of the Admiralty (1727–28).

Molyneux collaborated (1723–25) with James Bradley to improve the construction of reflecting telescopes. Molyneux worked further with Bradley in 1725, setting up a zenith-pointing telescope to try to observe stellar parallax (apparent displacement by which the distances of stars can be calculated). Although they were unsuccessful in this effort, Bradley later used the same method to discover the aberration of starlight.

View of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31, M31).
Britannica Quiz
Astronomy and Space Quiz
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.