Cyril Jackson (astronomer)

Cyril V. Jackson, born on December fifth, nineteen oh three, in Ossett, Yorkshire, England, was a prominent South African astronomer renowned for his significant contributions to the field of astronomy. His journey began when his father emigrated to South Africa in nineteen eleven, leading Jackson to pursue his education at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree.

Jackson's professional career took off at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg, where he worked from nineteen twenty-eight until nineteen forty-seven. During this period, he made remarkable discoveries, including seventy-two asteroids and several comets, establishing himself as a key figure in astronomical research. His service in the Second World War with South African forces earned him recognition, as he was mentioned in despatches for his contributions.

After the war, Jackson became the director of the Yale-Columbia Southern Observatory in Johannesburg, a collaboration that began in the nineteen twenties. However, due to increasing light pollution, the observatory was closed in nineteen fifty-one. Jackson oversaw the relocation of its instruments, including a twenty-six inch refracting telescope, to Mount Stromlo Observatory in Australia, where he worked from nineteen fifty-seven to nineteen sixty-three.

In nineteen sixty-three, the Yale Columbia Southern Observatory reopened at El Leoncito, Argentina, and Jackson served as its director until his retirement in nineteen sixty-six. Throughout his career, he discovered notable comets, including the periodic comets 47P/Ashbrook-Jackson and 58P/Jackson-Neujmin, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of astronomy.