manosca72 Department of Astronomy Records, 1887-[ongoing] Finding aid prepared by Gayla Spaulding. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Smith College Archives
Northampton, MA
© 2003

Smith College. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Laura Cutter. 2003-06-04 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 manosca72 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Smith College Archives Department of Astronomy Records, 1887-[ongoing] RG 52 Gayla Spaulding Revised 2002 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

© 2003 Smith College. All rights reserved.

 Collection Overview Smith College. Dept. of Astronomy. Department of Astronomy records1885-[ongoing] RG 52 15 boxes (7.5 linear ft.) Smith College Archives
Northampton, MA
Records include a history of the department, booklets, course and faculty information, diagrams, account books, notebooks and photographs of astronomical observations, information on observatory instruments, correspondence, and notes and photographs of astronomical societies. Student work is also included, as well as information on the Five College Program. English. Scope and Contents of the Collection

SERIES I. OFFICE FILES consists of background information on the program of studies, account books, correspondence and course information. SERIES II. STUDENT WORK consists of rules, models and diagrams of observations, photographs and charts of eclipses and student notebooks. SERIES III. FIVE COLLEGE PROGRAM consists of faculty lists, Four-College Astronomy Department information, information on laboratory work, examinations, observatory visitor books, photographs and course notebooks. SERIES IV. OBSERVATORY RECORDS consists mostly of notebooks on charts and plates, mean and apparent star places, radial velocity, variable stars, the Meridian Circle, sunspots and transit instrument observations, but also contains correspondence and information on observatory instruments. SERIES V. SOCIETIES consists of information , photographs, records, notes and predictions of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), the Astronomy Club, Smith College Astronomical Society, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space and Telescopium.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into five series:

I. Office Files II. Student Work III. Five College Program IV. Observatory Records V. Societies Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

Records are open to research according to the regulations of the Smith College Archives.

The Archives has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any question of copyright. Permission to cite the papers for publication of quotations beyond "fair use" must be obtained from the Smith College Archives.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Smith College Dept. of Astronomy Records, Box #, Smith College Archives.

 Additions to the Collection

Additions to the records are expected.

History of the Collection

Processed by Gayla Spaulding

 Search Terms Smith College. Dept. of Astronomy. Smith College--History--Sources. Astronomy--Study and teaching (Higher)--Massachusetts Smith College. Astronomy Club. Smith College Astronomical Society. Astronomy--Study and teaching (Higher)--Massachusetts--Northampton. SERIES I. OFFICE FILES 1 1 Sciences: General 1951-1996, n.d. 1 2 History of Science Studies Program of Studies 1983-84 Astronomy 1 3 General 1939-1993, n.d. 1 4 Account book 1898-1934 1 5 Budget sheets 1911-1933 1 6 Code 1939, n.d. 1 7 Conferences 1929-1938 1 8-9 Correspondence 1885-1947, n.d. Courses 1934-1986 1 10 11-37b 1 11 101-237 1 12 100-110 Astronomy Department 2 1 Reports 1888-1904 2 2 Annual Reports 1906-09 2 3 Reports and minutes 1919-1920 2 4 Secretary's book 1919-1920 SERIES II. STUDENT WORK 3 1 Rules, models and diagrams 1902-05 3 2 Comets: Telegrams re: observations 1939-1954 3 3 Eclipses: Photographs and charts 6/13/17, 5/14/38, 11/7/38 3 Five observation notebooks 1905-1915 4 Eleven comet observation computer books 1902-1930 SERIES III. FIVE COLLEGE PROGRAM Course notebooks 5 Astronomy 11 1930 5 Astronomy 10b (teaching course) circa 1913 5 Astronomy 22 1924-25 5 Astronomy 8a 1906-08 5 Astronomy (general) 1915 5 Astronomy, Special Honors 1928-1930 6 1 Smith College Observatory Notices 1955, 1973 6 2 Five-college observatory radio telescope 1976 6 3 Faculty list n.d. Four-College 6 4-5 Astronomy Department 1953-1965 6 6 Graduate program 1962-64 6 7 Faculty 1959 6 8 Observatory in Whately 1962-1974 6 9 General 1935-1966 6 10 Gifts and grants 1958 6 11 Laboratory work n.d. 6 12 Library 1931-1948, n.d. 6 13 Examinations 1912-1939 6 14 National Science Foundation 1961-67 SERIES IV. OBSERVATORY RECORDS 7 Observatory visitor book 1955-58 7 1 Open house 1933-1956 7 2 Order book 1896-1933 7 3 Smith College Observatory Notices 1977-1981 7 4 Parties 1977 Photographs 7 5-6 Classes 1890s-1900s, 1930s 7 7 Solar eclipse April 7, 1940 7 8 Telescopes 1990-92 8 Meridian Circle observations, seven notebooks 1894-1904 8 Meridian Circle reductions, four notebooks 1888-1957 9 1 Correspondence 1885-86 9 2 Equipment 1888-1957 Instruments 9 3 Camera 1936 9 4 Chronograph 1887-1904 9 5 Chronometer 1934-1947 9 6 Clock 1887-89, 1960 9 7 Field glasses 1893-1908 9 8 Gaertner measuring machine 1943 9 9 Levels 1888-1903, 1945 9 10 Micrometer 1888-1907 9 11 Photographic reflectors 1847 9 12 Telescopes 1885-1920, 1957-59 9 13 Gaertner, 6" 1910-11 9 14 Portable 1890-1909, 1937 9 15 Information 1885, 1979 9 16 Observatory, position 1900-1914 10 1 Schedule book 1901, 1906-07 10 2 Science building 1945, n.d. 10 3 Notebooks: star observations 1893-1906, 1911 10 4 Notebooks 10 charts and plates 1918 10 mean and Apparent star places 1905-1916 Marjorie Williams 10 5 Radial velocities 1929, 1936-39 Variable stars 10 6 Correspondence 1934-1946 10 7 Photographs 1900, 1904, n.d. 10 8 Field 8 1930-38, n.d. 10 9 Field 8 plots n.d. 11 Notebooks: Meridian Circle observations books I-III 1887-1894 11 1 Notes: Meridian stones, lines, marks and gnomons 1901 12 Notebooks 12 Sunspot observations books I-II 1908-1945 12 Sunspot observations books III-IV 1945-1953 12 AAVSU sunspot observations 1945-1951 12 Equatorial telescope observations books I-IV 1891-1931 Sky photographic observations 13 1-2 3" telescope 1933-1978 13 3-4 11" telescope 1930-1977 14 Notebooks: Transit instrument observations, books I-VIII 1904-08 SERIES V. SOCIETIES American Association of Variable Star Observers 15 1 Photos, records, notes and predictions 1929-1952 15 2 Memos, correspondence and notes 1976 15 3-4 Photographs 1920-1950, n.d. 15 5 Astronomy Club: Charter 1955 Smith College Astronomical Society 15 6 Annual letter 1900-1923 15 7 Constitution 15 8 Records 1891-1921 15 9 Students for the Exploration and Development of Space 1993 Telescopium 15 10 Meeting notes, questionnaire 1913-1938 15 11-13 Minutes 1899-1940 15 Telescopium and Astronomical Society (visitor and graduate name book) 1907-1954