David Peck Todd
Encyclopedia
David Peck Todd was a noted American astronomer
. He produced a complete set of photographs of the 1882 transit of Venus
.
, the son of Sereno Edwards Todd and Rhoda (Peck) Todd. He prepared at John C. Overhiser's School, Brooklyn, New York. He studied at Columbia University
from 1870 to 1872, then at Amherst College
from 1873 to 1875, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in the class of 1875. He earned his M.A. from Amherst in 1878, and a Ph.D. from Washington and Jefferson College in 1888.
Todd worked at the US Naval Observatory from 1875 to 1878, and at the US Nautical Almanac Office
from 1878 to 1881. From 1881 to 1917 he was a professor of astronomy and director of the observatory at Amherst College, and from 1917 onward he was professor emeritus there. From 1882 to 1887, he was also a professor of astronomy and higher mathematics at nearby Smith College
.
Todd married Mabel Loomis
on March 5, 1879, and had one daughter, Millicent. His wife had had an affair with William Austin Dickinson
, the (married) brother of Emily Dickinson
. The affair was an open secret in Amherst, and David Todd seems to have accepted it willingly. A collection of the two lovers' letters were published in Austin and Mabel: The Amherst Affair & Love Letters of Austin Dickinson and Mabel Loomis Todd (ISBN 0-374-10716-5).
from 1886 to 1888 and at Amherst College
from 1903 to 1906. He established Standard Time in Peru
in 1907. He was chief astronomer at the Lick Observatory
during the transit of Venus
in 1882, and created the first known photographs of the transit.
He was a member of the American Astronomical Society
, the Philosophical Society of Washington
, and the Japan Society
. He was fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
, the Society of Natural and Physical Sciences, Cherbourg, France; the Sociedad Geografica de Lima, Peru. In 1896 he was presented, by the Emperor of Japan
, with the Imperial Saké Cup for services in the cause of education in Japan.
In addition, Todd was the organizer and leader of a number of important astronomical expeditions:
Todd crater on Phobos
(a satellite
of Mars
) is named after him. In addition, asteroids 511 Davida
and 510 Mabella
are named after him and his wife.
Todd was also the author of New Astronomy; Stars and Telescopes, and many shorter articles. He also edited the Columbian Knowledge Series.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. He produced a complete set of photographs of the 1882 transit of Venus
Transit of Venus
A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun...
.
Biography
Todd was born in Lake Ridge, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the son of Sereno Edwards Todd and Rhoda (Peck) Todd. He prepared at John C. Overhiser's School, Brooklyn, New York. He studied at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
from 1870 to 1872, then at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
from 1873 to 1875, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in the class of 1875. He earned his M.A. from Amherst in 1878, and a Ph.D. from Washington and Jefferson College in 1888.
Todd worked at the US Naval Observatory from 1875 to 1878, and at the US Nautical Almanac Office
Nautical Almanac Office
Nautical Almanac Office can refer to:* HM Nautical Almanac Office in the United Kingdom* The Nautical Almanac Office at the United States Naval Observatory...
from 1878 to 1881. From 1881 to 1917 he was a professor of astronomy and director of the observatory at Amherst College, and from 1917 onward he was professor emeritus there. From 1882 to 1887, he was also a professor of astronomy and higher mathematics at nearby Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
.
Todd married Mabel Loomis
Mabel Loomis Todd
Mabel Loomis Todd or Mabel Loomis was an American editor and writer, and the wife of the astronomer David Peck Todd. She is remembered as the editor of posthumously published editions of Emily Dickinson....
on March 5, 1879, and had one daughter, Millicent. His wife had had an affair with William Austin Dickinson
William Austin Dickinson
William Austin Dickinson was an American lawyer. Known to family and friends as "Austin", he was the older brother of the poet Emily Dickinson....
, the (married) brother of Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life...
. The affair was an open secret in Amherst, and David Todd seems to have accepted it willingly. A collection of the two lovers' letters were published in Austin and Mabel: The Amherst Affair & Love Letters of Austin Dickinson and Mabel Loomis Todd (ISBN 0-374-10716-5).
Astronomical and other accomplishments
Todd designed and erected several observatories, including those at Smith CollegeSmith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
from 1886 to 1888 and at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
from 1903 to 1906. He established Standard Time in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in 1907. He was chief astronomer at the Lick Observatory
Lick Observatory
The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA...
during the transit of Venus
Transit of Venus
A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun...
in 1882, and created the first known photographs of the transit.
He was a member of the American Astronomical Society
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
, the Philosophical Society of Washington
Philosophical Society of Washington
The Philosophical Society of Washington is the oldest scientific society in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1871 by Joseph Henry.Its aims are "the promotion of science, the advancement of learning, and the free exchange of views among its members on scientific subjects."Since 1887, the regular...
, and the Japan Society
Japan Society (New York)
Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that aims to brings the people of Japan and the United States closer together through understanding, appreciation and cooperation...
. He was fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, the Society of Natural and Physical Sciences, Cherbourg, France; the Sociedad Geografica de Lima, Peru. In 1896 he was presented, by the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
, with the Imperial Saké Cup for services in the cause of education in Japan.
In addition, Todd was the organizer and leader of a number of important astronomical expeditions:
- The New EnglandNew EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
expedition to TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
for solar eclipse of July 29, 1878Solar eclipse of July 29, 1878A total solar eclipse occurred on July 29, 1878. This eclipse was visible at sunrise at a path across northeastern Asia and passed across Alaska, western Canada, and the United States from Wyoming through Texas.- Observations :-References:* ** ** *... - The American expedition to JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for solar eclipse of August 19, 1887Solar eclipse of August 19, 1887A total solar eclipse occurred on August 19, 1887. It was visible across Europe, Asia, and Japan.-Observations:The Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev ascended in a balloon near Moscow to observe this eclipse.-References:* * *... - A U. S. scientific expedition to West AfricaWest AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
in 1889 and 1890 - The Amherst expedition to JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for the solar eclipse of August 9, 1896Solar eclipse of August 9, 1896A total solar eclipse occurred on August 9, 1896. It was visible across Europe, Asia, and Japan.-References:* ** ** * , by Mabel Loomis Todd, Houghton, Mifflin and Company, publishers, 1898... - The Lowell expedition to TripoliTripoliTripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
for solar eclipse of May 28, 1900Solar eclipse of May 28, 1900A total solar eclipse occurred on May 28, 1900. - Viewing :In 1900 the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, then based in Washington, D.C., loaded several railroad cars with scientific equipment and headed to Wadesboro, North Carolina... - The Amherst eclipse expedition to the Dutch East IndiesDutch East IndiesThe Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
in 1901 - The Lowell Mars expedition to the Andes, 1907
- Expedition to Tripoli for the solar eclipse of August 30, 1905Solar eclipse of August 30, 1905A total solar eclipse occurred on August 30, 1905. -References:* * * *...
- Expedition to Russia for solar eclipse of August 21, 1914Solar eclipse of August 21, 1914A total solar eclipse occurred on August 21, 1914. It was visible from northern Europe and Asia.-References:*...
- Expedition to Florida for solar eclipse of June 8, 1918Solar eclipse of June 8, 1918A total solar eclipse occurred on June 8, 1918. The eclipse was observed by a U.S. Naval Observatory team at Baker City in Oregon. The painting below shows totality when the moon prevented the sun's rays from hitting that part of Oregon...
- Expedition to Brazil and Argentina for solar eclipse of May 29, 1919Solar eclipse of May 29, 1919A total solar eclipse occurred on May 29, 1919. With a maximum duration of totality of 6 minutes 51 seconds, it was one of the longest solar eclipses of the 20th century. It was visible throughout most of South America and Africa as a partial eclipse...
Todd crater on Phobos
Phobos (moon)
Phobos is the larger and closer of the two natural satellites of Mars. Both moons were discovered in 1877. With a mean radius of , Phobos is 7.24 times as massive as Deimos...
(a satellite
Natural satellite
A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....
of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
) is named after him. In addition, asteroids 511 Davida
511 Davida
511 Davida is a large main-belt C-type asteroid. It was discovered by R. S. Dugan in 1903. It is one of the ten most massive asteroids. It is approximately 270–310 km in diameter and comprises an estimated 1.5% of the total mass of the asteroid belt...
and 510 Mabella
510 Mabella
510 Mabella is a minor planet orbiting the Sun....
are named after him and his wife.
Writings
- Astronomy: The Science of the Heavenly Bodies. New York: Harper, 1922.http://books.google.com/books?id=POUMAAAAYAAJ&dq=Astronomy:+The+Science+of+the+Heavenly+Bodies&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=5mL8VX0LNJ&sig=TaBlMUIkK9PHNXW7qZd_ylWlgKE&hl=en&ei=X6RGS8LUNpHYNuCr8Y8J&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CA8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Todd was also the author of New Astronomy; Stars and Telescopes, and many shorter articles. He also edited the Columbian Knowledge Series.