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What Happened to the Women Computers?
I’ve spoken about the Dudley Observatory’s corps of women computers several times now. Every time, someone has come up to me afterwards to mention that, back in their day, there…
Read MoreRecovering the History of Women Computers
As an archivist, I’m not used to covering topical issues. But the history of women computers in the field of science is suddenly getting a lot of attention. The latest…
Read MoreCan You Find Charles Dudley Cleverly Hiding in this Picture?
Look carefully. He’s a sneaky one, that Charles. Yes, the dinosaurs are going away, so Charles Dudley is out from behind the foliage. Not quite out of hiding yet, because…
Read More“A Deed of More Perilous and Romantic Courage has Perhaps Never Been Undertaken …”
Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel was a tireless scientist and engineer who deserves a share of the credit for shaping American astronomy. He was an institution builder and a self-taught astronomer responsible for…
Read MoreMaking New Mirrors
This doesn’t look like much, but it was the start of something that was going to revolutionize the field of astronomy. This is a disk of silicon dioxide, also known…
Read MoreHow to Measure a Mountain Without Leaving Your Observatory
Nineteenth century observatories were more than just places to look at the stars. They were packed with scientific instruments that were useful for all sorts of purposes: highly accurate clocks,…
Read MoreInstruments
In regards to the last post, here’s Verplanck Colvin himself, taking notes on the right. The instrument he’s using is called a theodolite, which is essentially a small rotating telescope…
Read MoreGoulds all the way back
There’s one advantage to inheriting a library; you don’t just get the books, you also get the bookmarks. This bit of paper was found in one of the books used…
Read MoreThe Total Eclipse of 1878
As we gear up for the Eclipse Across America this summer, it’s worth looking back at the history of eclipse viewing and the role it played in modern astronomy. Treks out to…
Read MoreFrom the Collection: Velocity Model
Image collections can be an entertaining headache. Imagine someone going through the shoebox of old photographs that your parents keep in the closet and trying to figure out each picture.…
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