![Carl Otto Lampland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Carl_Otto_Lampland.jpg)
Carl Otto Lampland (December 29, 1873 – December 14, 1951) was an American
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...
. He was involved with both of the
Lowell Observatory solar system projects, observations of the planet
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
and the search for
Planet X.
Biography
Carl Otto Lampland was born near
Hayfield in
Dodge County, Minnesota
Dodge County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 20,867 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat is Mantorville.
Dodge County is part of the Rochester, MN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The area of presen ...
. He was born into a family of ten children. Both his father Ole Helliksen Lampland (1834–1914) and his mother Berit Gulliksdatter Skartum (1850–1943) were born in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
.
He was educated first at
Valparaiso Normal school in
Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso ( ), colloquially Valpo, is a city and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 34,151 at the 2020 census.
History
The site of present-day Valparaiso was included in the purchase of land from the ...
, where he earned a B.S. degree in 1899. He then studied at
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universi ...
, where he received a B.A. degree in astronomy in 1902, an M.A. in 1906, and an honorary LL.D in 1930.
He first went to
Lowell Observatory in 1902 when invited by
Percival Lowell
Percival Lowell (; March 13, 1855 – November 12, 1916) was an American businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, and furthered theories of a ninth planet within the Solar System. ...
and Lampland was closely involved with Lowell in planetary observation. He designed cameras used for astronomy and also designed and maintained telescopes, including resilvering the mirror of the telescope. He also constructed
thermocouple
A thermocouple, also known as a "thermoelectrical thermometer", is an electrical device consisting of two dissimilar electrical conductors forming an electrical junction. A thermocouple produces a temperature-dependent voltage as a result of th ...
s and used them to measure temperatures of
planet
A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a you ...
s. He won the
Royal Photographic Society Medal in 1905 for the camera which he designed for the 24-inch
Clark telescope. Together with
William Coblentz, he measured large differences between the day and night temperatures on
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
which implied a thin Martian atmosphere. He discovered the
asteroid 1604 Tombaugh. In 1907 Lampland and Lowell won a
Royal Photographic Society exhibition medal for their photographs of Mars.
Honors
* The asteroid
1767 Lampland was named in his memory.
* The lunar crater ''
Lampland'' was named after him.
* The Martian crater ''
Lampland'' was also named after him.
* The C.O. Lampland Collection is maintained at the Lowell Observatory Archives in Flagstaff.
* His date of birth is the starting point for the
Mars Sol Date calendar.
References
Related reading
* Slipher, Earl C. (1962) ''The Photographic Story of Mars'' (Cambridge Massachusetts: Sky Publishing)
* Croswell, Ken (1997) ''Planet Quest: The Epic Discovery of Alien Solar Systems'' (New York: The Free Press)
* Hughes, Stefan (2012) ''Catchers of the Light: The Forgotten Lives of the Men and Women Who First Photographed the Heavens'' (ArtDeCiel Publishing) .
* Littman, Mark (1990) ''Planets Beyond: Discovering the Outer Solar System'' (New York: Wiley)
* Schilling, Govert (2009) ''The Hunt for Planet X: New Worlds and the Fate of Pluto'' (New York: Springer)
External links
Lampland photographs of Mars
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lampland, Carl Otto
1873 births
1951 deaths
American astronomers
American people of Norwegian descent
Discoverers of asteroids
Indiana University alumni
People from Hayfield, Minnesota
Valparaiso University alumni