Seth Carlo Chandler

Background

Seth Carlo Chandler was born on September 17, 1846 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. He was the son of Seth Carlo and Mary (Cheever) Chandler.

Education

He was educated in the Boston public schools (finishing with the English High School), and at Harvard College. During his senior year in college he did some computing for Prof. Benjamin Pierce. He received the degree of LL. D. from De Pauw University in 1891. The University of Glasgow desired to confer upon him the doctor's degree in 1901, but he was unable to go abroad.

Career

After graduation in 1861 he became a private assistant of the astronomer Benjamin A. Gould. This was the beginning of a lasting friendship. From 1864 to 1870 he held a position in the United States Coast Survey. In the latter year he accepted a position as actuary with the Continental Life Insurance Company of New York, but in 1877 returned to Boston to a similar position which he held for several years. In 1881 he moved to Cambridge, where he became associated with the Harvard College Observatory, and resumed his astronomical work. He was at this time interested in the computation of cometary orbits. Together with John Ritchie, Jr. , he devised a telegraphic code for the distribution of astronomical news. He also constructed the almucantar--an instrument for finding time by equal-altitude observations--which constituted his chief contribution to instrumental astronomy. Leaving the Observatory in 1885, he continued privately his work in astronomy, becoming especially interested in variable stars, on which subject he was soon a leading authority. He was the discoverer of several variable stars, and the author of many papers on the classification and general laws of stellar variation. He compiled three catalogues of variable stars, and shortly before his death was engaged in the discussion of a standard system of magnitudes. His greatest work was the demonstration of the variation of latitude, a subject on which he worked many years. His first paper on this subject appeared in 1891. He succeeded Dr. Gould in the editorship of the Astronomical Journal, which became an absorbing interest to him. In his later years his health was broken, chiefly by his excessive zeal. He died in Wellesley, Massachussets, whither he had moved in 1904.

Achievements

• He received the Gold Medal of the National Academy of Sciences in 1895, and the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1896.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Science observer code

    (This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

  • A Comparative Atlas And Graphical History Of American Life Insurance: Embracing A Period Of Twenty Years, Previous To January 1, 1880...

    ( This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923....)

  • Catalogue of variable stars

Personality

With a brilliant creative mind and great nervous energy, he worked at high speed. He was unpretentious and social, kind and constant in friendship.

Connections

He married Caroline Herman of Boston.

Father:

Seth Carlo Chandler

Mother:

Mary (Cheever) Chandler

Spouse:

Caroline Herman