Lindsay Atkins Eddie FRAS (1845 – 13 October 1913) was a South-African amateur astronomer, known for his observations of Venus, Mercury and Mars and 21 comets. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1880. He saw active military service in South Africa and his final rank was that of a Major. Personal life Eddie was the son of an army Surgeon, William Cruikshank Eddie and Sarah Eddie (née Kaye). He had one brother and one sister. He grew up in Grahamstown and joined the civil service of the Cape of Good Hope in 1878. By 1892 he was clerk to judge Jones of the Eastern District Court, where he and W.G. Atherstone were asked to analyse a judgement of a libel case that a jury had been unable to decide. The case revolved around W.B. Shaw who had accused dean Williams of St Michael and St George Cathedral, Grahamstown of being a liar. He served in the military for 20 years. In 1876 he commanded the Grahamstown Rifles during an invasion of Xhosas just prior to the 9th Xhosa War. In 1885 he was a lieutenant in command of the Bechuanaland Expedition led by Charles Warren. His final rank was that of a Major when he retired in 1901. On 2 September 1873, he married Hermina Fredrica Upton at St Bartholomews Anglican church in Grahamstown and they had five children. He died on 13 October 1913 in Grahamstown. Astronomy During his early education he spent some time under the guidance of Dr. Richards (later Bishop Richards) who inspired him in his astronomical pursuits. His initial equipment was a 9.5-inch reflecting telescope in Grahamstown but he later used a 76 mm refractor and a more powerful 240 mm reflector. He made many useful observations including observations of 21 comets, although he never discovered any himself. The transit of Venus on 6 December 1882, which he observed from Fort Selwyn, near Grahamstown was one of the highlights of his observational career. He was assisted in this observation by the mayor of Grahamstown, J.S. Willcox, a jeweler who provided a chronometer with which to time the observations. Two astronomers at the Royal Observatory in Cape Town, D. Gill and W.H. Finlay sent a series of telegraphed time signals to Eddie which allowed him to correct the chronometer. Over the 20 years of his career, some of his results were