Van Vleck Observatory
Encyclopedia
Van Vleck Observatory is an astronomical
observatory
owned and operated by Wesleyan University
. It was built in 1914 and named after the former head of the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy at the university, Prof. John M. Van Vleck
. It is located in Middletown
, Connecticut
(USA).
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
owned and operated by Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
. It was built in 1914 and named after the former head of the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy at the university, Prof. John M. Van Vleck
John Monroe Van Vleck
John Monroe Van Vleck was an American mathematician and astronomer.He taught astronomy and mathematics at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut for more than 50 years , and served as acting university president twice...
. It is located in Middletown
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
(USA).
Directors
- Frederick SlocumFrederick SlocumFrederick Slocum was an American astronomer.He was born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts to Frederick and Lydia Ann Jones Slocum. His father was a whaling ship captain, and Frederick spent much of his youth mastering boat handling. He enrolled at Brown University in 1891, and was awarded his A.B. in...
, 1915-44 - Carl Leo StearnsCarl Leo StearnsCarl Leo Stearns was an American astronomer.After graduating from Wesleyan University in 1917 with high honors in general scholarship and special honors in mathematics, Stearns received his Phd from Yale University. He became an instructor in mathematics and astronomy at Wesleyan in 1919...
, 1944-60 - Thornton L. Page, 1960-71
- Arthur R. Upgren, 1973-93
- William Herbst, 1993-99
- John Salzer, 1999-2004
- William Herbst, 2004-