Charles Dillon Perrine, American astronomer. Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; member Astronomical Society Mexico; member Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Astronomical and Astrophysical Society America, Astronomische Gesellschaft.
Background
Born in Steubenville, Ohio, a son of Peter and Elizabeth McCauley Perrine, and a descendant of Daniel Perrin, "The Huguenot", he worked at Lick Observatory from 1893 to 1909 and then was director of the Argentine National Observatory (today, Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba) in Argentina from 1909 until 1936.
Education
Graduate Steubenville High School, 1884. Technical education by private exertion and at Lick Observatory. Doctor of Science, Santa Clara College, 1905.
Career
Between 1900 and 1908, Perrine accompanied four eclipse expeditions and was in charge of the one sent from Lick Observatory to Sumatra in 1901. Also in 1901, he and George Ritchey observed the apparent superluminal motion in the nebulosity surrounding Nova Persei 1901. He discovered two moons of Jupiter, today known as Himalia (in 1904) and Elara (in 1905).
They were simply designated "Jupiter VI" and "Jupiter VII" and were not given their present names until 1975.
Perrine co-discovered the lost periodic comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos and several other comets. Antonín Mrkos later named the asteroid 6779 Perrine after him.
The lunar crater Perrine is also named after him. He promoted the study of astrophysics in Argentina and pushed for the construction of a large telescope (the Bosque Alegre telescope), which however was not completed until 1942 (he had retired in 1936).
He remained in Argentina after retirement and died there, in Villa General Mitre (which has since been renamed to its original name of Villa del Totoral).
He is buried in the cementery disidentes in the city of Córdoba. C/1895 W1 (Perrine)
C/1896 C1 (Perrine-Lamp)
C/1896 V1 (Perrine)
18D/Perrine-Mrkos
C/1897 U1 (Perrine)
C/1898 L2 (Perrine)
C/1898 R1 (Perrine-Chofardet)
MNRAS 112 (1952) 273
Nature 168 (1951) 409
Popular Astronomy 59 (1951) 388
PASP 63 (1951) 259.
Achievements
Membership
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Member Astronomical Society Mexico. Member Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Astronomical and Astrophysical Society America, Astronomische Gesellschaft.
Connections
Married Bell Smith, 1905. Children: Charles Dillon, Mary Lyford, Dillon Ball, Isabel Clara, Charlotte Elizabeth.
Awarded medals for discovery of comets by Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Lalande prize and gold medal by Paris Academy of Sciences, 1897. Gold medal from Aston.tempSpaceSociety of Mexico, 1905, for discovery of Jupiter’s 6th and 7th satellites.
Besides discovery and observation of 13 comets, his chief contributions to scientific work have been the discovery of the remarkable motion in the nebulosity about the New Star in Perseus, in 1901, the discovery of the 6th and 7th satellites of Jupiter, the investigation of solar eclipse problems. Determination of the solar parallax from observations of Eros.tempSpaceObservations of nebulae and star clusters. Computation of orbits and ephemerides of comets.
Investigations of photographic problems in astronomy, et ceteratempSpaceHas contributed many articles to astronomical and other scientific journals of the United States and Europe.
Awarded medals for discovery of comets by Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Lalande prize and gold medal by Paris Academy of Sciences, 1897. Gold medal from Aston.tempSpaceSociety of Mexico, 1905, for discovery of Jupiter’s 6th and 7th satellites.
Besides discovery and observation of 13 comets, his chief contributions to scientific work have been the discovery of the remarkable motion in the nebulosity about the New Star in Perseus, in 1901, the discovery of the 6th and 7th satellites of Jupiter, the investigation of solar eclipse problems. Determination of the solar parallax from observations of Eros.tempSpaceObservations of nebulae and star clusters. Computation of orbits and ephemerides of comets.
Investigations of photographic problems in astronomy, et ceteratempSpaceHas contributed many articles to astronomical and other scientific journals of the United States and Europe.