Leo Enright

(1943-2009) A longtime active observer and member of the Kingston Centre. He brought Astronomy Day to Canada and developed the Beginner's Observing Guide. Leo received the Service Award in 1986.


LEO ENRIGHT (1943-) lives on the shore of Sharbot Lake, some 60 km north of Kingston, Ontario. By day he teaches English in the district high school and on clear nights he enjoys viewing the sky from his backyard observatory. Some of the most memorable events he has seen and photographed required no telescope, however, and included a series of observations of the zodiacal light 1984-86, an unusual auroral outburst in August, 1985 and a very bright fireball (magnitude -10) in 1983.

Combining his astronomical and writing talent. Enright has reviewed many popular astronomy books for the Journal, has contributed many interesting pieces to the Newsletter / Bulletin, and from 1977 to 1988, edited Regulus, the newsletter of the Kingston Centre. The Beginner's Observing Guide, which he wrote for the Society in 1991, is a natural outgrowth of his enthusiasm in helping Scouts and other young people become familiar with the sky.

Enright was primarily responsible for expanding the Kingston Centre from a campus club to a true regional Centre of the RASC, especially in 1978 when he was Centre President. He advocated, managed and manned mall displays, and promoted Astronomy Day as a means of getting the public informed and interested. As a result, the National Council appointed him Astronomy Day Co-ordinator, a position in which he worked very hard and effectively to get all centres involved in the annual program. Council also benefited from his meticulously prepared minutes during his term as Recorder from 1982-88.

Leo Enright received the Service Award in 1986 for his many contributions to the Society. He and Denise Sabatini, whom he married in 1988, have continued to enrich the Society in many ways since.

Peter Broughton (from Looking Up)

 

Further Reading

 

Above: Leo Enright leads a tour of the Holleford Meteor Crater.
Above: Leo Enright introduced Clyde Tombaugh's talk in Kingston in 1989.
Description: 
Enright, Leo
Type: 
Person