baɪ pɹəfˈɛʃən, hiː wʌzɐ mᵻkˈænɪkəl ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹ ænd sˈɪvəl sˈɜːvənt, bˌʌt hɪz ɹˌɛpjuːtˈeɪʃən ɹˈɛsts ˌɔn hɪz ɐtʃˈiːvmənts æz ɐn ˈæmətʃɚɹ ɐstɹˈɑːnəmɚ, pɚtˈɪkjʊlɚli æz ɐ sˌɛlənˈɑːɡɹəfɚ.
By profession, he was a mechanical engineer and civil servant, but his reputation rests on his achievements as an amateur astronomer, particularly as a selenographer.