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Person

Nevil Maskelyne

A portrait depicts Nevil Maskelyne, Fifth Astronomer Royal, wearing formal attire with a white cravat and dark coat, set against a neutral background.

Fifth Astronomer Royal (1732–1811), appointed in 1765. A proponent of the lunar-distance method, he founded the Nautical Almanac in 1767, which made lunar observations practical for ordinary navigators. He sat on the Board of Longitude during the long dispute with John Harrison and was accused, then and since, of obstructing Harrison's claim — though some historians read his caution as ordinary scientific scepticism.

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