Harry Edwin Wood

Harry Edwin Wood, born on February third, eighteen eighty-one, in Manchester, was a distinguished English astronomer and non-fiction writer. He graduated from Manchester University in nineteen oh two with first class honours in physics and later earned an MSc in nineteen oh five. His early career saw him appointed as the Chief Assistant at the Transvaal Meteorological Observatory in nineteen oh six, which would evolve into the Union Observatory, later known as the Republic Observatory.

In his role at the observatory, Wood made significant contributions to meteorology, notably establishing South Africa's first twenty-four-hour weather forecasts via telegraph in the Transvaal. His marriage to Mary Ethel Greengrass, a fellow physics graduate from Manchester University, took place in nineteen oh nine, marking a personal milestone in his life.

Wood's tenure as the director of the Union Observatory spanned from nineteen twenty-eight to nineteen forty-one, succeeding Robert Innes. He was also an influential figure in the astronomical community, serving as the president of the Astronomical Society of South Africa from nineteen twenty-nine to nineteen thirty.

Throughout his career, Wood was credited with the discovery of twelve numbered asteroids between nineteen eleven and nineteen thirty-two, a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field. He passed away in nineteen forty-six in Mortimer, near Cradock, South Africa. In recognition of his contributions, the asteroid 1660 Wood, discovered by his colleague Jacobus Bruwer, was named in his honour.