History
-Chandler
Seth C Chandler
Seth C. Chandler was born in Boston in
1846. After attending high school, Chandler became a personal
astronomical assistant to Benjamin A.
Gould, Jr. from 1863 to 1869. From 1870 to 1885 he was
employed as a life insurance actuary. Also during this time,
between 1880 and 1885, he continued his astronomical studies at
Harvard College Observatory. Between 1886 and 1904, Chandler
conducted private astronomical investigations in Cambridge, MA.
During this time, he made one of his most important discoveries.
He determined by observations that there was a variation in
latitude. The period of the precession of the earth around the
axis was found to be 428 days instead of 305 days. Chandler also
advanced the knowledge of variable stars and comets. He classified
approximately 500 variables in his catalogues. In 1891, he
received his LL.D. from DePauw University.
From 1896 to 1912, Dr. Chandler was editor of the Astronomical
Journal. Although in the early days of his editorship, he revived
the periodical to high standards, towards the end of his tenure
his ill health led to the deterioration of the journal. When
Lewis Boss took over the
editorship in 1912, he was delivered mail by Chandler's estate
that had not been opened in 4-5 years. Publication had practically
ceased.
Dr. Chandler had remained for all his life a close friend of
Lewis Boss and had maintained an ongoing professional relationship
with the Dudley Observatory as well. He
died on New Year's Eve, 1913.
Papers of Seth
C. Chandler
External Links:
Encyclopedia
Britannica article
National
Academy of Sciences Biographical
Memoir
