Biography.guide
Home › People › Astronomer › Edwin Forrest Sawyer
Portrait of Edwin Forrest Sawyer

Edwin Forrest Sawyer

1849 – 1937

American amateur astronomer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Edwin Forrest Sawyer

Lived 1849 – 1937 (aged 88). Edwin Forrest Sawyer was an astronomer.

Edwin Forrest Sawyer (16 May 1849-14 October 1937) was a 19th-century American amateur astronomer, best known for his observations of meteors. His observations of meteors are some of the most complete, spanning 1877–1915. He worked with Alexander Stewart Herschel, William Frederick Denning and Seth Carlo Chandler.

Sawyer's work mostly focused on meteor showers. Along with William Frederick Denning, he observed the Leonids of 1866–1868. He kept detailed records of the 1872 Andromedids. In 1880, Sawyer published the first study of the July Aquariids.

In 1891, Sawyer made observations of the variable stars 1072 Persei, 2100 Orionis, 4940 Hydrae, 5667 Coronae, 5912 Herculis, 6189 Ophiuchi, 6733 Scuti, and 7120 Cygni. In May 1892, Sawyer published a catalogue of 3,415 southern stars. In 1898, Sawyer studied the Leonid meteor shower in greater detail. He noted that the meteors were of a distinctive green color. Also during this study, he saw recorded observations of ten previously known asteroids.

In 1896, he discovered a new variable star in Gemini, with a magnitude changing between 6.8 and 7.6 every eight days.

He retired in 1915, and died on 14 October 1937, at the age of 88.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation

People in Edwin Forrest Sawyer's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Edwin Forrest Sawyer's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Edwin Forrest Sawyer?

American amateur astronomer

When was Edwin Forrest Sawyer born?

Edwin Forrest Sawyer was born on 16 May 1849.

When did Edwin Forrest Sawyer die?

Edwin Forrest Sawyer died on 14 October 1937.

What was Edwin Forrest Sawyer's occupation?

Edwin Forrest Sawyer was an astronomer.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Edwin Forrest Sawyer

· Wikidata: Q137294960

· DBpedia: Edwin Forrest Sawyer

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Edwin Forrest Sawyer. https://biography.guide/edwin-forrest-sawyer/

MLA: "Edwin Forrest Sawyer." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/edwin-forrest-sawyer/.

Chicago: "Edwin Forrest Sawyer." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/edwin-forrest-sawyer/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 04:57 UTC