Lilian Martin-Leake

Lilian Martin-Leake (17 March 1867, Paddington, England – 1962, Bideford, England) was a British astronomer, science teacher and scientific illustrator, and a member of British Astronomical Association. She was a member of the expedition organized by the British Astronomical Association to observe the total eclipse of May 28, 1900. Along with four other members of the expedition she was stationed on the roof of the Hotel de la Régence in Algiers to examine the structure of the corona in the telescope.

Martin-Leake made a drawing from a telescopic view of prominences and chromosphere during eclipse of May 28, 1900. Her drawing of the chromosphere and the corona showed red spicules in the chromosphere that were considered as mountains before.

Lilian Martin-Leake was born on 17 March 1867 in the family of William Martin-Leake - civil engineer and coffee planter and Louisa Harriet (Tennant) Martin-Leake. She had seven siblings - five sisters and two brothers. She graduated from Matric Girton College in 1886 and Girton College in 1890.

From 1896 to 1900 she was the Science Mistress at Winchester High School, from 1914 to 1915 and again from 1919 to 1928 she was an occasional inspector for the Board of Education.