A GREAT ASTRONOMER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 560, 15 July 1909, Page 9

A GREAT ASTRONOMER.

j'LATE ■:PROFESSOR NEWCOMB. ■'': ■■The -late Professor Simon Newcomb, -whose 'deatli was'reported by cable yesterday'was born at' Wallace, Nova, Scotia, >.6n March 12, •1835.. His'energies andhis field of-labour were vast. Among other .things, he published the tables of the motions'of the; stars, .the planets.and the moon; now used by nstronerners .in their coni.put&tions and as the' basis of the' navigation of the' : resselS.'.of ! the:.'world:-;. <:• ;•' - ■'.-.' ~- , .'i-'The vdeceawdVastronompr,' became a resident oi the United, States in 1853, and graduated at th« Lawrence Seientifio School of Harvard University .in' lßsß,';having-:paid-special attention to.mathematics and- astronomy. He assisted in!th»" preparation of the .Nautical AlraMiftb for-1857;,-, In■ 1861' he became "professor, of mathematics in the United States Navy, and 'was put in'charge of the:great'2(!iu. equatorial erected at Washington, Qhservatory in, 1873.,1n. ■1877 he,was appointed director, of the>,'AmenoanVNftutical Almanac," a post which he held ! until March, ,1897. In, IBM .he became professor of mathematies'-and astronomy at the John Hopkins University;; contihuinf,: -however,-' to reside at;Washington.' : i'He;w».s''also'.editor, of the. ".American' Journal of I ..Mathematics" for ' many; years,... :;:<K" - ; : ■ ;■',-;'■'- i... In • ; view' of .'the' extent -and , importance of his ••labours, ih«-.' variety ,'of 'the subjects of .which : he- treats, arid '.the, -unity'-.of,' purpose -which has 'guided i him throughout, Simon -Newcomb must. be ; ' considered-,as one. of the most ,dis-. tinguished : astronomers 1 of his time..;, A study -of-nis'works reveals ah-.unusual: combination of skill;" and .originality.: ini-the'. mathematical treatment 'of. -many:: of 'the .most' difficult'', problems', of: astronomy, an' unfailing.'. patience arid' sagacity; in.,dealing ~mth; immense'-masses _ of numerical! results; and a % talent for observation of. the -highest order. 'The ■.formation -of- the tables of a planet;has.been described by,Cayley ;'as v ,'f. the .'Culminating aohievement'., of .astro-; ..ndmy,'.V;but- the gigantic'■;'.task., which:.Newcomb laid • out; for ..-/himself, .and iw,hich,-'ie .-carried ;b'h;,f or -more .'than' twentyj-yeanj* \va;s ''the ibnildup, on ah absolutejy.homogeneous basis, of the theory and;: tables -of; the.wJiole,^planeta.ry r , .'system.';. The', results , of'..these.'investigations' have;"-'for;'the..most .part, ■'-'appeared .] in-; the' v s ;pf Ephemeris/' and ;have;been : niore ;or--lesj.oom- 1 pktely: in the nautical almanacs ,'of. all; cpuntries.... A,valuable; summary .of: 'a;'considerable;. this!',work,., containing, ■an of .the : methods >' adopted,; the' ma- r ; 'terialSi-efflployedr'and ~the;;'resultiDg';: ; ,yalues.''qf ;the yari'ousVquantities iinvolved, (was'/.published. : -in!'!jß9s"-as'; : aVsupplemeht";:'" to' 'the'.''American ■■Ephem'oris" " ;,for;-1897.' : -';,-.^.i;';;!;, i;-.'t }.'i'\' f .^ ':; : ; !K-At'"'tne international' i co.nferen'co,'.;'ffhich'; met '. at 'Paris./in', 1896/Jfor:' the. purpose' 0f... elaborat-; -ing.iacpmmo'nrsystem.'orconstahts/.andifunda-', .mehtal;'(6tafs--:tb bo employed'.in'ther.various •nfttional';'ephcmerides,' Newcomb'took'-a'leading; part,; and at'its:suggestion-undertook ithe,fast iofdetermining' of, : the:ic6n'sta'nt, /of precessiph,, and of Compiling 1 a-new,catalogue jofv.standard. stars.-',.Th6 ; result of; thesa-irivesr ' tigatiohs vwere published-iii 1899,-..and; have" been !.in .use; since-the'- the'.in-; ■tervais -of;these', immense:labours, 6ni which-.-his reputation' asT.ah.yastroab'inerj'v.will'^-'rest,,'he 'found lofsure -for.'.works of,.a ; lighter' ! oharacter, "e'.gr;"' his.'" Popular ' "(1878); "and his '■ ''Astronomy ;f6r'.Schools,and .Colleges" .(1880); written }. in conjunction , with-Professor-|'E. S." Holdenv-:-V-A'fter./.his-:•'.retirement. ,from : . official 1 life he publis'hed an .excellent popular treatise on "The Stars,. a. Study ,of ;the Universe." He also-.wrote; on .questions of . financ©. and eoonomics.!-; v ; ,; ,-^;; : ; ; ; , '.';;.i'-.:;. ".,'■'.'. .'.V;.";:/.' ; ';-