Nathaniel E. Green

Nathaniel Everett Green (August 21 1823 – November 10 1899) was a British painter, art teacher and astronomer. He professionally painted landscapes and portraits, and also gained fame with his drawings of planets.

His interest in astronomy dated from 1859 when he built a telescope for himself. He produced "soft-pencil" drawings of Mars in 1877, which were widely known. Shortly after drawing them, he was the first to suggest that canals on Mars were an optical illusion.

In 1880 he was called to Balmoral and taught art to some members of the Royal family including Queen Victoria.

He was founding member of the British Astronomical Association (BAA) and its president from 1897–1898.

A crater on Mars was named in his honor.

External links

• N.E. Green biography at BAA
• Description of the 1877 Mars opposition observation campaign

Obituaries

• MNRAS 60 (1900) 318
• Obs 23 (1900) 67