Eben Jenks Loomis
Encyclopedia
Eben Jenks Loomis was an American
astronomer
, born at Oppenheim
, New York
. He attended the Lawrence Scientific School (Harvard
) in 1851-53; was assistant in the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac
office from 1850 until his retirement in 1900. During this time he also held the position of special assistant at the United States Naval Observatory
in Washington, DC.
Loomis was a member of the United States eclipse expedition to Africa
in 1889. He is author of Wayside Sketches (1894); An Eclipse Party in Africa (1896); and A Sunset Idyl, and Other Poems (1903).
He was the father of Mabel Loomis Todd
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
astronomer
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, born at Oppenheim
Oppenheim, New York
Oppenheim is a town in Fulton County, New York, United States. The town is at the western border of the county and is east of Utica. The population was 1,774 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, New York
New 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...
. He attended the Lawrence Scientific School (Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
) in 1851-53; was assistant in the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac
American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac
The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac was published for the years 1855 to 1980, containing information necessary for astronomers, surveyors, and navigators...
office from 1850 until his retirement in 1900. During this time he also held the position of special assistant at the United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
in Washington, DC.
Loomis was a member of the United States eclipse expedition to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
in 1889. He is author of Wayside Sketches (1894); An Eclipse Party in Africa (1896); and A Sunset Idyl, and Other Poems (1903).
He was the father of Mabel Loomis Todd
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....
.
External links
- The Emily Dickinson Electronic Archives
- Eben Jenks Loomis. 11 November 1828-2 December 1912. A paper read by his granddaughter Millicent Todd, to a group of friends, 8 February 1913 (1913)