David Peck Todd, American Astronomer

David Peck Todd (March 19, 1855 - June 1, 1939) was an American astronomer. He designed and erected several observatories, including those at Smith College and Amherst College. He worked at the US Naval Observatory from 1875-78, and at the US Nautical Almanac Office from 1878-81. From 1882-87, he was a professor of astronomy and higher mathematics at Smith College. From 1881 to 1917 he was a professor of astronomy and director of the observatory at Amherst College, and from 1917 onward he was professor emeritus there. He established Standard Time in Peru in 1907. He was chief astronomer at the Lick Observatory during the transit of Venus in 1882, and created the first known photographs of the transit. In addition, Todd was the organizer and leader of a number of important astronomical expeditions: The American expedition to Japan for solar eclipse of August 19, 1887, The Amherst expedition to Japan for the solar eclipse of August 9, 1896, The Lowell expedition to Tripoli for solar eclipse of May 28, 1900 and The Lowell Mars expedition to the Andes, 1907 to name just a few. He died in 1939 at the age of 84. Bain News Service, undated

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12698422

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48540294

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LOC/Science Source/Mary Evans