Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: Edward Emerson Barnard was an American astronomer .
Simplified: Edward Emerson Barnard ( December 16 , 1857 â `` February 6 , 1923 ) was an American astronomer . He was commonly known as E. E. Barnard , and was recognized as a gifted observational astronomer .