Sproul Observatory was an
astronomical observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
owned and operated by
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeduca ...
. It was located in
Swarthmore,
Pennsylvania,
United States, and named after
William Cameron Sproul, the 27th Governor of Pennsylvania, who graduated from Swarthmore in 1891. The 24" telescope was moved from Sproul Observatory to
Bentonville, Arkansas in July 2017
History
In 1907, William Cameron Sproul communicated to the Board of Managers of Swarthmore College his desire to donate funds for the purchase of equipment for an astronomical observatory. Sproul was a successful businessman who graduated from Swarthmore in 1891 and a trustee to the college. At the time of the gift, he was serving as
Pennsylvania State Senator for the
9th District and went on to become the 27th Governor of Pennsylvania.
The telescope was built in 1911 by the
John A. Brashear
John Alfred Brashear (November 24, 1840 – April 8, 1920) was an American astronomer and instrument builder.
Life and work
Brashear was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, a town 35 miles (56 km) south of Pittsburgh along the Monongah ...
Company in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
[ When the telescope was installed at the observatory in 1913, it was the largest on the East Coast of the United States and one of the largest in the world.][
From 1986 to 2004, the computer science department was given office and lab space in the observatory building.
In 2009, Swarthmore College added the Peter van de Kamp Observatory to the newly built Science Center. The new observatory contained a more technologically advanced 24" reflecting telescope and replaced the Sproul Observatory for education and public outreach purposes.][ The book collection of the Sproul Observatory was donated to an astronomy center in Magdalena, New Mexico.][
In 2017, Swarthmore unveiled plans to renovate Sproul Observatory which will transform the observatory into the James Hormel and Michael Nguyen Intercultural Center at Sproul Hall which will bring the Intercultural Center, Interfaith Center, Religious and Spiritual Life Center and the Office of International Student Services in one building.
]
Directors
# John A. Miller (1923–1938)
# Peter van de Kamp (1937–1972)
# Wulff-Dieter Heintz (1973–1982)
# Sarah L. Lippincott
Sarah Lee Lippincott (October 26, 1920 – February 28, 2019), also known as Sarah Lee Lippincott Zimmerman, was an American astronomer. She was professor emerita of astronomy at Swarthmore College and director emerita of the college's Sproul Obs ...
(1982–)
Planetary discovery controversies
Under the direction of Peter van de Kamp this observatory made numerous claims of planetary systems and discoveries based on astrometry
Astrometry is a branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. It provides the kinematics and physical origin of the Solar System and this galaxy, the Milky Way.
His ...
using the photographic plates made with the refractor telescope. These plates were found to have a systematic error
Observational error (or measurement error) is the difference between a measured value of a quantity and its true value.Dodge, Y. (2003) ''The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms'', OUP. In statistics, an error is not necessarily a " mistak ...
that was misinterpreted as the effect of a planetary system
A planetary system is a set of gravitationally
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interacti ...
on the parent star. This error was identified as early as 1973 and confirmed by the observatory in the 1980s.
See also
* List of astronomical observatories
* Barnard's Star
* Peter van de Kamp
* List of largest optical refracting telescopes
References
External links
Sproul Observatory
Swarthmore College Bulletin, March 2001, pp 30–33, ''Barnard's Wobble''
{{Coord, 39.90308, -75.3553, type:landmark_source:GoogleMaps Satellite, display=title
Astronomical observatories in Pennsylvania
Swarthmore College
Planetary systems
2017 disestablishments in Pennsylvania