Howard Miles
Amongst the notable astronomers to come from Coventry in this twentieth century was Howard George Miles
Born in 1922, Miles was a founder member of the Technical College Astronomical and Meteorological Society, serving as its secretary for many years, and remaining active in the society (later Coventry and Warwickshire Astronomical Society) until his retirement to Cornwall in 1983. He also investigated aspects of local astronomy history, publishing on nineteenth century Coventry astronomer William Andrews in 1988.
Miles became a Mathematics lecturer at Lanchester College of Technology (later Coventry University) and was a prominent and influential member of the British Astronomical Association (BAA) until his death in 2016. Miles led the BAA's newly-formed Artificial Earth Satellite division from 1960 (a post he held for more than thirty years) and served as the association’s president in 1974-1976.
He also actively investigated astronomical transients and fireballs, and led an investigation into the meteor debris which fell in and around Barwell, Leicestershire in 1965 – work which was published in Nature. Asteroid (4119) Miles is named after him.
Sources:
Obituary, J. Br Astron Assoc, 127, 371-373 (2017)
Departure from Coventry, J Br Astron Assoc, 93, 230 (1983)
Letters to Nature on Barwell Meteorite,
Nature, 212, 983 (1966)
Nature, 212, 1339 (1966)