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ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
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Yale
Observatory
1925
- 1951
-Later known as Yale - Columbia Southern Station.
-(Re-opened as Yale - Columbia Southern Station in El Leoncito,
Argentina in 1963)
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Photo Gallery:
Yale
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Current
Information:
The Observatory has closed down. The Current Information
section is not relevant to this Observatory.
Location: |
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Noted
for:
Did groundbreaking work in measuring the parallax and proper
motions of stars in the Southern Hemisphere.
Summary:
- This
Observatory specialised in stellar parallaxes.
- In
1925 Yale University started an Observatory in the
grounds of the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
- In
1946 Columbia University joined forces with Yale and
the Observatory became known as Yale - Columbia Southern Station.
- On 18 January 2003 a bush fire destroyed Mount Stromlo Observatory
with all its instruments. The 26-inch
refractor was also destroyed. (A section of the lost
and found page is dedicated to this tragedy)
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History:
-
One of the pioneers in trigonometrical parallax work, was an American
astronomer, Frank Schlesinger, who became Director of the
Yale Observatory. He it was who initiated a major programme,
ending in the production of what are known as the Yale Zone
catalogues. He measured the parallaxes of many stars, together
with their proper motions; but from his own country he could not
reach the stars of the far south. What Schlesinger wanted to do
was to set up a special observatory, to extend the parallax survey
down to the south celestial pole. [Moore, p.111.]
- 1925:
The American Yale University established the Observatory
in the ground of the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg,
close to the present Planetarium.
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The Observatory was created with the specific goal to establish
distances to stars, using the trigonometrical parallax
method. The instrument used, a 26-inch
refractor,
was a specialist telescope designed for the task. To measure
a star's parallax, it is essential for the star to be high
in the sky when the relevant photographs are taken - so there was
no need for the telescope to be wholly manoeuvrable, or to cover
the whole sky. So long as it could be pointed some way to either
side of the meridian, it would serve its purpose very adequately.
Needless to say, a building of this sort was far cheaper than a
dome.
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The first resident observer was H.
Alden.
(1925 - 1945)
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In 1946 Columbia University joined forces with Yale and the
Observatory became a joint project.
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A new resident observer was appointed, C.
Jackson,
who was an astronomer at the Union Observatory.
- 1951:
The project to measure parallaxes was completed. The Observatory
served its function, and due to worsening air pollution the
decision was taken to close down the Observatory. [Moore, p.111.]
The telescope was dismantled and moved to Mount Stromlo in Australia.
(Note:On 18 January 2003 a bushfire destroyed Mount Stromlo
Observatory including the 26 inch telescope)
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In 1963 Yale University decided to re-open it's Southern Observatory,
in El Leoncito, Argentina.
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- 26-inch
(66 cm) photographic refractor.
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Pictorial
Sources:
Moore, P. & Collins, P., Astronomy in Southern Africa,
p.112.
Bibliography:
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Smits, P., A Brief History of Astronomy in Southern Africa.
(Unpublished)
- Stoy,
R.H., Astronomy in South Africa, A History of Scientific Endeavour
in South Africa, Royal Society of South Africa, 1977.
- Moore,
P. & Collins, P., Astronomy in Southern Africa, pp.111 - 113.
(General Source)
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