Whitin Observatory is an

astronomical Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxi ...

observatory owned and operated by Wellesley College. Built in 1900, with additions in 1906, 1967, and 2010, it is located in Wellesley,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

and named after Wellesley College trustee Mrs. John Crane Whitin (

Sarah Elizabeth Whitin Sarah Elizabeth Whitin (born April 18, 1836, died Dec 26, 1917) was sole benefactor of the Whitin Observatory, which she had built on the campus of Wellesley College near Boston. Biography She was born Sarah Elizabeth Pratt, daughter of a physic ...

) of

Whitinsville Whitinsville is an unincorporated village within the town of Northbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Whitinsville is a census-designated place (CDP) and its population was 6,750 at the 2020 census. Whitinsville is pronoun ...

, who donated the funds for the observatory. Astronomer Sarah Frances Whiting was the first director of the new Wellesley College Astronomy Department. The facilities include a 0.7m PlaneWave CDK700 reflector, a 12" Fitz/Clark

refractor A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptric telescope). The refracting telescope design was originally used in spyglasses and a ...

, a 6" Alvan Clark refractor, a Hale Spectrohelioscope, and Meade 8" SCTs.

History

In 1896, Wellesley College physics professor Sarah Frances Whiting met trustee Sarah Elizabeth Whitin at a traditional college ceremony, "Float Night." The conversation turned to a 12" refracting telescope Whiting had used that was being offered for sale, and as told in Wellesley College 1875–1975: A Century of Women: Whiting used the telescope in teaching her classes in astronomy to Wellesley students, one of the first of its kind. It quickly became apparent that the Observatory would need to be expanded. Sarah Frances Whiting wrote in Whitin's obituary "An Appreciation," which appeared in ''The Wellesley College News'' According to Wellesley records, in 1942, before the U.S. entered

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, "astronomy professor Helen Dodson and Barbara McCarthy, professor of Greek, teach a secret course in cryptography to (at least) ten students. The course was taught evenings at the Observatory, where late-night activity would not attract attention. Following graduation, most of these students went on to work for the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

] WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), working on Japanese and German code breaking in World War II, German codes."

Faculty

* Sarah Frances Whiting * Ellen Amanda Hayes *

Leah Allen Leah Brown Allen (November 6, 1884 in Providence, Rhode Island – February 1973) was an American astronomer and Professor of Astronomy at Hood College. She joined Lick Observatory as Carnegie Assistant in 1908.Mary Proctorbr>"Halley's Comet ...

John Charles Duncan John Charles Duncan (February 8, 1882 in Knightstown, Indiana – September 10, 1967 in Chula Vista, California) was an American astronomer. Life John Charles Duncan was the son of Daniel Davidson and Naomi, née Jessup, Duncan. He graduated fr ...

Students

* Annie Jump Cannon, after whom the

Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy The Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy is awarded annually by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) to a woman resident of North America, who is within five years of receipt of a PhD, for distinguished contributions to astronomy or for similar ...

was named. * Andrea Dupree *

Martha P. Haynes Martha Patricia Haynes (born 24 April 1951) is an American astronomer who specializes in radio astronomy and extragalactic astronomy. She is the distinguished professor of arts and sciences in astronomy at Cornell University.Pamela Melroy Pamela Ann Melroy (born September 17, 1961) is an American retired United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut serving as the deputy administrator of NASA. She served as pilot on Space Shuttle missions STS-92 and STS-112 and commanded mi ...

Nergis Mavalvala Nergis Mavalvala (born 1968) is a Pakistani-American astrophysicist. She is the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she is also the Dean of the university's School of S ...

File:Annie jump cannon.jpg, Annie Jump Cannon File:Pamela Melroy.jpg, Astronaut Pam Melroy

Friends

Margaret Lindsay Huggins Margaret Lindsay, Lady Huggins (14 August 1848, in Dublin – 24 March 1915, in London), born Margaret Lindsay Murray, was an Irish-English scientific investigator and astronomer. With her husband William Huggins she was a pioneer in the field o ...

, who bequeathed items to the observatory File:Margaret Lindsay Huggins00.jpg, Lady Margaret Lindsay Huggins

References

External links