OBSERVATORIES. 



69 



The following list contains a brief description of the 

 most important observatories in the United States. 

 The longitude, when obtainable, is referred to the 

 meridian of Greenwich. 



Akron, Ohio, Buchtel College Observatory, lat. + 

 41 3', long. 5" 26 m W. Built in 1885-86- 4J-in. 

 equatorial by Pike & Sons ; 3-in. transit circle, with 

 zenith telescope attachment, by Fauth ; sidereal and 

 mean time clocks, chronograph, and apparatus for 

 dropping a time-ball and correcting a system of con- 

 trolled clocks. The observatory is intended for the 

 instruction of students and the maintenance of a 

 time-service. Cost, about $5000. Director, C. S. 

 Howe. 



Alb., mi, X. Y., Dudley Observatory, lat. + 42 39' 

 49". 5, long. 4" 54 m 59'. 2 W. Founded by subscrip- 

 tion in 18")1 ; inaugurated 1856; became a department 

 of Union University in 1873. The instruments are : a 

 13-in. Fitz equatorial. S-in. PLstor & Martins meri- 

 dian circle, 6.4-in. transit instrument by the same 

 makers, 4-in. comet-seeker, clocks, chronographs, 

 and subsidiary apparatus. With the meridian circle 

 the Astrrmomistche fiixillsrhuft zone, from + 1 to 

 4- 5 declination, has been observed by Prof. Boss. 

 Time-signals are supplied to the city of Albany. Di- 

 rectors : B. A. Gould 1854 ; 0. M. Mitchel, 1859 ; 

 (1. W. Hough. 1862: Lewis Boss, 1875. 



Allegheny, Pa., Observatory of the Western Uni- 

 versity of Pennsylvania, lat. 4- 40 27' 41 ".6. long. 

 5" 20 2V9. 13-in. Fitz equatorial, reworked by Clark, 

 4-in. Trough ton & Simms transit, spectroscopes, pho- 

 tometers, bolometer. Prof. S. P. Langley, the director, 

 has made important investigations in solar physics at 

 this observatory, and has also, since 1869, maintained 

 a very efficient time-service over the Pennsylvania 

 Railroad system. 



Amhent, Mass., Lawrence Observatory of Amherst 

 College, lat. + 42 22' 15". 6, long. 4" 50 7'.3 W. 

 Erected in 1847 ; 7J-in. equatorial by Clark ; 6|-in. 

 transit instrument by Pistor & Martins, rebuilt by 

 Fauth ; 3-in. transit circle by Gauibey ; clocks, chrono- 

 graph, and smaller instruments. The observatory is 

 chiefly for instruction. Director, D. P. Todd. 



Ananpolu Md., lat. + 38 58' 53". 5, long. 5" 5 m 

 56'. 5 W. U. S. Naval Academy Observatory, used 

 for instruction only ; 7|-in. equatorial, made by Clark 

 in 1857, 4-in. Repsold meridian circle, small transit 

 and zenith telescope, both by Wiirdeuiann, a combined 

 transit and zenith telescope of the Russian pattern 

 by Stackpole, clock, chronometers, chronographs, etc. 

 The department of astronomy waa created in 1853, and 

 until 1859 was under the charge of Prof. William 

 Chauvenet. 



Ann .1/-W, Mich., lat. + 42 16' 48". 0. long. 5" 

 34" 55'. 2 W. Erected in 1853-54 by the citizens of 

 Detroit, and hence known as the Detroit Observatory ; 

 it forms a department of the University of Michigan. 

 Tlic instruments are : a 13-in. Fitz equatorial, a 6}-in. 

 Pistor & Martins transit circle, clocks, and chrono- 

 graph. A students' observatory contains a 6-in. equa- 

 torial and 3-in. transit, with zenith telescope attach- 

 ment. The observatory - plant is valued at about 

 $40,000. Directors : F. Briinnow, 1854 : J. C. Wat- 

 son, 1858; M. W. Harrington, 1879. Watson discov- 

 ered 21 asteroids here. 



Bofemore, Md. , Denmore Observatory, private ob- 

 servatory of Mr. W. H. Numsen, lat. + 39 21', long. 

 5" 6 52- W. ; 4-in. Cooke equatorial. 



Behit, Wis. , Smith ( )bservatory. 9. 5-in. equatorial, 

 objective by Clark, mounting by Warner & Swasey. 

 Directors: John Tatlock, Jr., 1884; C. A. Bacon, 

 1886. 



Berkelfu, Cal. , students' observatory of the Univer- 

 sity of California, fl-in. Fauth equatorial, with spec- 

 troscope and other attachments, 3-in. combined transit 

 and zenith telescope of the "Davidson pattern" made 

 by Fauth, clock, chronometer, chronograph, and other 

 accessories for instruction of engineering students, or 



original work by students of astronomy. Director 

 Frank Soule. 



Bethlehem, Pa., Sayre Observatory of Lehigh Uni- 

 versity, lat. + 40 36' 23". 9 long. 5 h l m 31'. 9 W. 

 Founded in 1877 ; 6-in. Clark equatorial, Stackpole 

 transit and zenith telescope. Director, C. L. Doo- 

 little. 



Boston, Mass., private observatory of Mr. C. L. 

 Woodside (1886) ; lat. + 42 22' 39", long. 4" 44 m 9' 

 W. ; 6j-inch silvered glass reflector. 



Brooklyn, N. Y., private observatory of H. M. 

 Parkhurst ; lat. + 40 41' 2", long. 4" 55 m 50' W. 

 Built in 1862; rebuilt in 1877; a 9-in. Fitz equa- 

 torial has been used principally in photometric ob- 

 servations. 



Cambridge, Mass., Observatory of Harvard Col- 

 lege; lat. + 42 22' 48. "3, long. 4" 44 m 31".0 W. 

 Founded in 1843. As early as 1815 an observatory 

 was projected, and in 1827 the Dana house was pur- 

 chased to serve at least as a temporary astronomical 

 establishment. In 1839 Mr. W. C. Bond was ap- 

 pointed "astronomical observer for the college" and 

 carried on a series of observations in co-operation 

 with the Wilkes expedition till 1842. The provisional 

 observatory at the Dana house contained a Troughton 

 & Simms transit of 2j-in. aperture, a Short telescope 

 of 5-ft. focus, and magnetical and meteorological in- 

 struments. In 1841 the present site of the observa- 

 tory, then known as Summer House Hill, was pur- 

 chased. In 1843, under the enthusiasm aroused by 

 the sudden appearance of the great comet of that 

 year, the sum of $25,730 was subscribed for the pur- 

 pose of erecting an observatory and providing it with 

 a telescope of the largest size. The buildings were 

 finished in 1844. The 15-in. refractor (costing 

 $19,842), by Merz & Mahler, of Munich, was mounted 

 in 1847. With this instrument G. P. Bond discovered 

 the seventh satellite of Saturn, Hyperion, in 1848, and 

 the inner or dusky ring of Saturn in 1850. The ob- 

 servatory possessed also two 4-in. comet-seekers, and 

 a 4|-in. equatorial, which was replaced, however, in 



1869, by one of 5} in. made by Clark. A chro- 

 nograph or spring-governor, the invention of W. C. 

 Bond, was first brought into use here in 1849. A 

 Troughton & Simms meridian circle of 8j-in. aperture, 

 embodying several new features suggested by Prof. 

 Winlock, and a 23 -in. " Russian " transit were mounted 

 in 1870. With the former instrument the Astro- 

 nomische Gesettschaft zone, + 50 to + 55, was 

 observed by Prof. W. A. Rogers. A horizontal pho- 

 to-heliograph of 40 ft. focus, devised by Prof. Winlock, 

 was successfully used in photographing the sun in 



1870. Prof. Pickering added several photometers of 

 his own invention to the equipment, the most im- 

 portant being a large meridian photometer constructed 

 in 1883. Since 1885 much attention has been given 

 to astronomical photography. Mrs. Henry Draper 

 has lent to the observatory the principal instruments 

 of Dr. Draper's observatory at Hastings, an 11-in. 



f Clark equatorial and 15-in. and 28-in. reflectors, and 

 has furnished means for carrying on a special investi- 

 gation of stellar spectra by means of photography. 

 With these instruments extremely valuable results 

 have already been obtained. In 1887 a fund amount- 

 ing to $238,000, left by Uriah A. Boyden for conduct- 

 ing astronomical observations at such a height as to be 

 free so far as possible from the injurious effects due to 

 the atmosphere, was transferred to Harvard College. 

 Experiments, mainly in the line of stellar photography, 

 are being conducted by Prof. Pickering in carrying out 

 the provisions of this trust. A high altitude station 

 in tne southern hemisphere will be occupied and a 

 series of observations carried on in co-operation with a 

 similar station in the United States. A 13-in. equa- 

 torial, designed by Prof. Pickering, adapted to either 

 visual or photographic purposes, has been built by 

 the Clarks, and a second telescope of 8-in. aperture is 

 mounted on the same stand. A complete photographic 



