(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1165877732/?tag=2022091-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q9Z0GE/?tag=2022091-20
Benjamin Boss was born on January 9, 1880, in Albany, New York, United States, to Lewis Boss and Helen M. Hutchinson. He grew up in an academic family closely connected to astronomy, as his father was himself a notable astronomer and long-time editor of the Astronomical Journal.
He attended The Albany Academy during his early years and later studied at Harvard University, from which he graduated in 1901. After completing his degree, he joined the Dudley Observatory, where he worked from 1901 to 1905, gaining early research experience in astronomical observation and measurement.
Benjamin Boss’s professional work was closely tied to observatories and national scientific institutions. After leaving Dudley Observatory, he spent a year working at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. He then became director of the United States Naval Observatory station in Samoa, where he played a central role in organizing the scientific expedition to Flint Island for the observation of the 1908 solar eclipse. He served as director of the station from 1906 to 1908.
In 1908 he joined the Department of Meridian Astrometry of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. He initially served as secretary, then became acting director in 1912, and by 1915 he assumed the full directorship of the department. At the same time, he returned to the Dudley Observatory, becoming its director in 1912 and holding the position until 1956, guiding its research programs for more than four decades.
His scientific work centered on positional astronomy, with particular emphasis on precise determinations of the coordinates and motions of stars. After the death of his father in 1912, he succeeded him as editor of the Astronomical Journal, continuing in that role until 1941. In 1936, the Carnegie Institution published his General Catalogue of 33,342 Stars, which superseded his father’s earlier catalogue and became known as the Boss General Catalogue. It was widely used by observatories and navigation services for decades.
Benjamin Boss is best known for producing the General Catalogue of 33,342 Stars, an authoritative work in positional astronomy that served as a primary standard reference for stellar coordinates. He is also noted for his long tenure as director of the Dudley Observatory and for continuing the editorial legacy of the Astronomical Journal, significantly shaping astronomical research and data organization in the early 20th century.
(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)
He was a member of the American Astronomical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was also associated with the University Club.
Married Marguerite M. Guy, August 30, 1906 (died 1919). Married second, Helga South. Nordstrom, August 7, 1923. Children: Marguerite, Elizabeth.
