August 2010

August 13: Monthly Meeting

Stars, Dinosaur Tracks, and Love Affairs: The History of Astronomy at Amherst College

Richard Sanderson

The presentation will focus on two of the most colorful scientists in the history of Amherst College, Edward Hitchcock and David Todd. Both were instrumental in establishing a long tradition of observational astronomy at the college. Hitchcock’s interests ranged from the stars to the strange prehistoric footprints found in the rocks of the Connecticut River Valley. A generation later, David Todd was traveling around the world to witness total solar eclipses while building a large observatory on the campus of Amherst College. Soon after the observatory’s completion, he disassembled the massive 18-inch Clark Corporation refractor and brought it to a foreign land in an attempt to prove that life exists on Mars. This talk will offer a fascinating glimpse at the pursuit of astronomy during an earlier era.

Richard is the curator of physical science at the Springfield (MA) Science Museum and director of the museum’s Seymour Planetarium. He is an astronomy journalist who, for 20 years, wrote a column called “Celestial Wanderings” for the “Springfield Journal.” He has been published in national magazines that include “Astronomy,” “Sky & Telescope,” “The Skeptical Inquirer,” “The Griffith Observer,” and “The Journal for the History of Astronomy.” He also is co-author of the 2006 book “Illustrated Timeline of the Universe.” Rich is a co-founder of the Connecticut River Valley Astronomers’ Conjunction. He also is passionately interested in collecting antique astronomy books. He lives in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts.