English astronomer who published two catalogues of double stars 1824 and 1826, the former with John Herschel. For this catalogue, they were awarded the Gold Medal of the Astronomical Society 1826.
South was born in London. He became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons before renouncing medicine at the age of 31 in order to devote himself to astronomy. His marriage in 1816 made him wealthy enough to establish observatories in London and in Paris and equip them with the best telescopes available.
South had an argumentative temperament, and his public criticism of the Royal Society for participating in the decline of the sciences in Britain offended other Fellows.