Frank Ross,His Ross Lens Design,and the Lick Observatory 20-inch Astrograph

Nicholson S. B. , “Frank Elmore Ross”, PASP, lxxiii (1961), 187–9; Morgan W. W. , “Frank Elmore Ross”, Biographical memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, xxxix (1967), 1967–408. These are the two best accounts of his scientific career, written by two astronomers who knew Ross well, but Ross held back many aspects of his personal life from them, as we shall see.

DEO, James E. Keeler: Pioneer American astrophysicist: And the early development of American astrophysics (Cambridge, 1984), 281–5.

FER to J. E. Keeler, 30 May [18]99; FER to NUM, 26 Mar. [19]58, SLO.

FER to SN, 2 May 1903, 26 Feb. 1905, 28 Feb. [19]08; SN to President of CIW, 22 Dec. 1903, LC.

FER, “Latitude observations with the photographic zenith tube at Gaithersburg, Maryland”, U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey special publication no. 27 (1915), 1–127.

Rochester City Directories [published annually], 1915 through 1924.

[Anon], “Optical Society of America Annual Meeting, New York City, December 28, 1916”, JOSA, i (1917), 45–47.

FER, “Stellar images on a photographic plate as affected by development: Preliminary paper”, JOSA, i (1917), 94–98.

FER to EBF, 4 Apr. 1924, YOA.

Sanford R. F. , “On some relations of the spiral nebulae to the Milky Way”, LOB, ix (1917), 80–91.

WHW to R. J. van Rhijn, 22 Jan. 1946; WHW to E. Hertzsprung, 19–26 Apr. 1951; WHW to T. [A.] Vanasek, 28 Apr., [∼ 20] May 1951; T. A. Vanasek to WHW, 10 May 1951, SLO.

Frederick C. W. , “The design of lenses for aerial photography”, JOSA , ii—iii (1919), 34–38; [Anon.], “Patents: Photographic objective”, ibid., 48.

FER, “A wide-field astronomical doublet”, JOSA, v (1921), 123–30.

FER to WWC, 22 Nov. 1912, 14 Oct. 1918, SLO.

FER, “A wide-angle astronomical astronomical doublet”, PAAS, iv (1923), 229.

JBM to MWSO, 31 Oct. 1921; FGP to FER, 9 Nov. 1921, 22 Mar. 1922; FER to FGP, 19 Nov. 1921; FER to [WS]A, 9 Jan. 1923, 30 Apr. 1924, HHL.

FS and C. J. Hudson, “The determination of star positions by means of a wide-angle lens”, PAO , iii (1914), 59–75; FS, “The positions of stars”, PA, xxx (1922), 1922–44; FS and I. Barney, “Catalogue of the positions and proper motions of 10,358 stars”, PYO, ix (1933), 1933–208.

FER to WWC, 4 Apr. 1921, SLO.

WWC in “Meeting of the RAS, 1919 July 13”, Observatory , xlii (1919), 297–9. HDC, [∼ 15 June 1918], “The Einstein-effect; Eclipse of June 8, 1918 (preliminary paper)” (notes for ASP meeting in June 1919 and for Campbell to use in London and Europe in summer 1919), SLO. HDC, “The Einstein effect eclipse of June 8, 1918”, PASP, xxi (1919), 190 (this is the abstract of HDC's paper at the ASP meeting in June 1919, but Curtis had withdrawn his original text and this published version merely says the “results would be presented”); DEO, “Lick Observatory solar eclipse expeditions”, AQ, iii (1980), 1980–79.

WWC to FER, 31 Oct. 1918; WWC to [R]T, 13 June 1921, SLO.

WWC to FER, 11 Apr. 1921, SLO.

Hastings C. S. , “On a new type of telescope objective especially adapted to spectroscopic use”, ApJ, ix (1899), 162–6. JBM to WWC, 31 Aug. 1920; WWC to [JBM], 19 Sep. 1920, SLO.

FER to WWC, 18 Apr. 1921; [WWC] to HDC, 4 May 1921; [WWC] to FER, 10 May, 25 May 1921; HDC to [WW]C, 11 May 1921; [WWC] to [JBM], 25 May, 30 June 1921, SLO.

WWC to JBM, 11 Aug., 20 Sep. 1921, 28 Jan. 1922; JBM to WWC, 8 Oct., 9 Dec. 1921, 18 Jan., 4 Feb., 6 Feb., 7 Feb. 1922, SLO.

JBM to WWC, 10 June, 27 Aug. 1921; WWC to JBM, 14 Dec., 27 Dec. 1921, SLO.

FER to WWC, 8 Sep. 1921; FER to [WH]W, 21 Sep. 1921; WWC to FER, 4 Oct., 20 Oct. 1921, SLO.

JBM to MWSO, 31 Oct. 1921; FGP to FER, 9 Nov. 1921; FER to GEH, 3 Nov., 14 Nov., 28 Nov. 1921; GEH to FER, 8 Nov., 9 Nov., 14 Nov. 1921, HHL.

[GEH] to FER, 25 Nov. 1921; FER to FGP, 19 Nov. 1921; FGP to FER, 9 Nov. 1921, HHL.

FGP to FER, 10 Mar. 1922; FER to FGP, 26 Mar. 1922; FER to [WS]A, 9 Jan., 19 May 1923; WSA to FER, 6 May 1924, HHL. J. W. Briggs and DEO, “The challenges and frustrations of a veteran astronomical optician: Robert Lundin”, JAH2, v (1998), 1998–103.

WSA to FER, 23 Nov., 3 Dec. 1926, 13 Feb., 21 Feb. 1927; FER to WSA, 29 Nov., 16 Dec. 1926, 16 Feb., 28 Feb. 1927, HHL.

FER, “The mutual action of adjacent photographic images”, PAAS , iv (1923), 228; FER, “A wide-angle astronomical doublet”, ibid., 229; FER, “The relation between the diameter of a photographic star image and its magnitude”, ibid., 280–1; [JS], “The twenty-fifth meeting”, ibid., 199–200; [JS]”, The twenty-sixth meeting”, ibid., 243–7.

FER to [WW]C, 22 Nov. 1912, 14 Oct. 1918; WWC to FER, 7 Dec. 1912, 21 Oct. 1918, SLO.

WWC to FER, 28 Mar. 1921; FER to WWC, 4 Apr. 1921 (see ref. 18), 14 May 1921, SLO.

FER to [WH]W, 21 Sep., 8 Oct. 1921; WWC to FER, 4 Oct., 11 Oct. 1921; FER to WWC, 8 Oct., 19 Oct. 1921; WWC, “Ross” [memo to himself], 5 Oct. 1921, SLO.

FER to WWC, 31 Oct. 1921, 6 Jan., 23 Jan. 1922; WWC to FER, 7 Nov. 1921, 12 Jan., 23 Jan., 28 Jan. 1922, SLO.

FER to WWC, 4 Feb. 1922; WWC to FER, 9 Feb. 1922; FER to [WH]W, 18 Mar. 1922, SLO.

WWC to FER, 22 May (night letter telegram), 26 May, 29 May (night letter telegram) 1922; FER to WWC, 23 May, 26 May, 1 June 1922, SLO.

WWC to FER, 15 Jan., 4 May 1923; FER to WWC, 23 Jan (night letter telegram and written letter same date), 17 Apr., 2 May, 6 May, 9 May 1923; WWC to D. P. Burrows, 10 May 1923, SLO.

FER, “Planetary photography”, PAAS , iv (1923), 382; FER, “Accuracy of photographic image registration”, ibid., 383; [JS], “Twenty-eighth meeting”, ibid., 335–9.

Sheehan W. , The immortal fire within: The life and work of Edward Emerson Barnard (Cambridge, 1995).

DEO, Yerkes Observatory, 1892–1950: The birth, near death, and resurrection of a scientific research institution (Chicago, 1997).

FER to EBF, 9 Jan., 6 June, 9 June 1923, 10 Jan., 24 Jan. 1924; EBF to FER, 31 Mar., 21 May 1923, 4 Jan., 7 Jan., 7 Feb., 21 Mar. 1924, YOA.

EBF to HNR, 13 Mar., 22 Nov. 1923; HNR to EBF, 20 Feb., 28 Nov. 1923, YOA.

EBF to FER, 31 Mar., 13 Apr., 7 Apr., 11 Apr. 1924; FER to EBF, 2 Apr (telegram and letter same dates), 7 Apr. 1924; EBF to W. S. Eichelberger, 3 Apr. 1924; Eichelberger to EBF, 5 Apr. 1924; EBF to HGG, 4 Apr., 7 Apr., 9 Apr., 11 Apr., 3 May 1924; HGG to EBF, 10 Apr., 6 May (two letters on same day), 23 May 1924; J. H. Tufts to EBF, 9 Apr. 1924, YOA.

FER to EBF, 19 May, 26 May 1924; EBF to FER, 22 Apr., 19 June 1924; EBF to JSD, 19 June 1924; EBF to HGG, 20 June 1924; JSD to EBF, 23 June (letter and telegram same date) 1924, YOA.

FER, “Distortion in spotted photographic plates”, PAAS , v (1927), 189–90; [JS], “Thirty-second meeting”, ibid., 157–9.

FER to EBF, 29 June, 21 Sep., 27 Sep. 1924; EBF to FER, 9 July, 12 Sep., 13 Sep., 25 Sep., 29 Sep. 1924, YOA.

FER to [WH]W, 3 July 1924, SLO.

DEO, “Frank Ross, his early direct photographs of Venus, and his interpretation of them”, Bulletin of the AAS, xxxviii (2006), 524.

FER to EBF, 7 Apr., 11 July, 18 Aug., 5 Sep. 1924; EBF to FER, 11 Apr., 25 July, 3 Sep. 1924, YOA.

FER to [WH]W, 21 Oct. 1925, SLO. FER, “New proper-motion stars”, AJ , xxvi (1925–26), 96–99; “New proper-motion stars: Second list”, ibid., 124–8; “New proper-motion stars: Third list”, ibid., 172–6.

FER, “Photograph of the Orion nebulosities”, ApJ , lxv (1927), 137–9; FER, “Nebulosities in Monoceros, Taurus, and Perseus”, ApJ, lxvii (1928), 1928–95. For comparison of image size and quality of these plates, which cover fields of about 20° × 23° with those taken with the 10-inch Bruce (Petzval lens), see E. E. Barnard, “On a great nebulous region and on the question of absorbing matter in space and the transparency of the nebulae”, ApJ, xxxi (1910), 1910–14.

WSA to FER, 9 June 1924, 31 Jan., 21 Feb., 2 Mar., 21 Mar. 1927; FER to WSA, 29 Nov. 1926, 27 Jan., 11 Feb., 28 Feb., 12 Mar. 1927, HHL.

[WHW] to [FE]R, 23 Mar. 1927; FER to WHW, 18 Mar., 29 Mar. 1927; RGA to FER, 28 Nov. 1927; FER to WWC, 13 Feb. 1926; WWC to FER, 16 Mar. 1926, SLO.

HGG to EBF, 18 Feb. 1927, YOA. FER to WSA, 17 Jan., 14 Feb. 1928; WSA to FER, 31 Jan. 1928, HHL. FER to GEH, 2 Aug. 1928, HPM.

WSA to FER, 28 July, [∼2 Aug.] 1928 (telegram); FER to WSA, 31 July (telegram and letter same date), 6 Aug. 1928 (telegram), HHL. [Anon.], “Items extracted from desk calendars, 1928–29”, [∼1 July 1929] (this is a one-page memo, probably prepared by SBB, giving dates of arrivals, departures, leaves, etc., of faculty members), YOA.

FER to EBF, 14 Aug., 28 Aug., 14 Sep. 1928; EBF to FER, 21 Aug., 28 Aug., 1928; SBB to FER, 29 Aug. 1928, YOA. [JA]A, “Conference with Dr. F. E. Ross, Aug 14” [1928], one-page memo, HPM. FER to WSA, 3 Oct. 1928; WSA to FER, 31 Oct., 1928, HHL.

FER, “New proper-motion stars: Fourth list”, AJ , xxxvii (1926), 53–57; …; FER, “New proper-motion stars[: Twelfth list]”, AJ, xlviii (1939), 1939–6. FER, “Notes and corrections to proper motions”, AJ, xl (1930), 1930–4 (this gives a brief description of the aims of the program, and of the methods Ross used to carry it out.). [FER], “Bruce Report for 1928–29” (one-page memo), ∼1 July, 1929, YOA.

[Anon.], “McDowell-Brashear interest sold”, PA , xxxiv (1926), 542–3; Fisher C. , “James Walter Fecker, builder of telescopes”, PA, liv (1946), 179. FER to JAA, 21 Jan., 22 Jan. 1929, CIT.

FER to WSA, 17 Jan., 14 Feb. 1928, 15 Mar., 7 May, 15 May 1929; WSA to FER, 19 Mar., 10 May 1929, HHL. FER to EBF, 18 June, 21 July, 30 July 1929, YOA.

JWF to FER, 19 Sep. 1929, CIT. FER to EBF, 27 Sep. 1929, YOA. FER to WHW, 18 Jan. 1930, SLO.

FER and R. S. Zug, “Magnitudes and colors of Eros comparison stars”, AN , ccxxxix (1931), cols 289–302.

FER to EBF, 8 Oct. 1929, 6 Aug., 11 Aug., 18 Aug 1930, 28 May 1931; EBF to FER, 28 May 1931, YOA. FER to WSA, 2 Nov., 8 Dec. 1930, 5 Feb., 28 Mar. 1931; WSA to FER, 26 Nov., 22 Dec. 1930, 16 Feb. 1931, HHL. FER to RGA, 22 Sep. 1930, SLO.

FER to [FH]S, 16 Oct., 12 Nov., 28 Dec. 1929, 11 Feb., 26 Mar. 1930, 24 Jan. 1931; FHS to FER, 6 Nov., 23 Dec. 1929, 18 Feb. 1930, HHL. FER to [EB]F, 19 July 1930, 16 June 1932; FER to [O]S, 16 July, 1932, YOA.

FHS to FER, 6 Feb. 1931, 7 June, 24 Oct., 5 Dec. 1933; FER to [FH]S, 9 Feb. 1931, 23 Jan. 1932, 2 June, 19 Oct. 1933, HHL. FHS, FER, and Mary C. Joyner, “Magnitudes and colors of stars north of +80 degrees”, CIW publication 332 (1941), 1–87.

FER, “Photographic photometry”, ApJ, lxxxiv (1936), 241–69.

DEO, op. cit. (ref. 41), especially chap. 6.

FER to [WS]A, 21 Mar. 1933, 17 May 1934; 20 Nov. 1935; 22 May 1936; WSA to FER, 24 Mar. 1933, 24 May 1934, 26 Nov. 1935; FER to [FH]S, 17 Jan., 5 Feb. 1934; FHS to FER, 5 Jan. 1933, 1 Feb. 1934, HHL. FER and Mary R. Calvert, Atlas of the Northern Milky Way (Chicago, 1934, 1936).

WWC, “The total eclipse of the Sun, September 21, 1922”, PASP , xxxv (1923), 11–44; RT, “Comparative tests of two wide-angle photographic objectives”, PASP, xxxv (1923), 1923–5; WWC and RT, “Observations of the deflection of light passing through the Sun's gravitational field made during the total eclipse of September 21, 1922”, LOB, xi (1923), 1923–54; WWC and RT, “Observations made with a pair of five-foot cameras on the light-deflection in the Sun's gravitational field at the total eclipse of September 21, 1922”, LOB, xiii (1928), 1928–60; RT, “Final results on the deflections in the Sun's gravitational field from observations made at the total solar eclipse of September 21, 1922”, PASP, xli (1928), 1928–4. The first of these references not only describes the Lick expedition and its first results, but also outlines Campbell's views on these eclipse tests of Einstein's theories.

RGA to FER, 16 July, 27 July, 12 Sep. 1928; FER to RGA, 20 July, 27, 9 Sep. 1928, SLO.

RGA to FER, 19 Sep., 27 Sep., 16 Oct., 25 Oct., 30 Oct, 1930; FER to RGA, 22 Sep., 1 Oct., 25 Oct., 30 Nov. 1930, SLO.

RGA to FER, 22 Dec. 1931; FER to RGA, 28 Dec. 1931, SLO.

RGA to FER, 5 May 1933; [WHW] to FER, 3 Oct. 1933; FER to WHW, 9 Oct. 1933, SLO.

WHW to FER, 2 Jan., 30 Jan. 1934; FER to WHW, 8 Jan., 19 Jan. 1934; JWF to FER, 17 Jan. 1934; RGA to FER, 31 Oct. 1934, SLO. RGA, “A new telescope for the Lick Observatory”, PASP, xlvi (1934), 1934–3.

FER to WHW, 12 Nov., 3 Dec., 4 Dec., 24 Dec. 1934; RGA to FER, 9 Nov. 1934; FER to RGA, 13 Nov. 1934; WHW to FER, 9 Nov., 12 Dec. 1934, SLO.

FS, “Yale University Observatory” (annual report for 1930–31), PAAS , vii (1933), 78–81; ibid. (for 1931–32), 157–61; ibid. (for 1932–33), 266–70; FS and I. Barney, “Catalogue of the positions and proper motions of 8101 stars”, TYO, 1939, 1–164 + i—xix. FER to [RG]A, 19 Feb. 1935, SLO.

FER to WHW, 3 May 1936, 20 Aug. 1937, SLO.

Stokley J. , “An amateur astronomer's dream observatory”, Sky , i/12 (1937), 8–12; OM, “Cook Observatory progress”, Sky, iii/12 (1938), 3–6; Olivier C. P. , “Gustavus Wynne Cook, 1867–1940”, PASP, lii (1940), 1940–5; Stokley J. , “Gustavus Wynne Cook”, MNRAS, cii (1942), 1942–64.

JWF to WHW, 8 Feb., 9 Mar. 1936, 17 Oct. 1938, SLO.

F[ER] to W[HW] , 21 Apr., 29 Apr., 7 May, 10 May, 11 May, 12 May, 5 July 1938, 21 Jan. 1939; WHW to FER, 5 May 1938; JWF to WHW, 25 Mar., 20 July, 28 Sept., 21 Dec. 1938, 18 Jan. 1939; WHW to JWF, 5 May 1938; JWF to FER, 9 May 1938, SLO.

WHW to GWC, 10 Oct. 1939; OM to WHW, 3 Oct., 23 Oct. 1939; WHW to OM, 29 Sep., 10 Oct., 11 Nov. 1939; WHW to [NMB]C, 10 Dec. 1939, SLO.

[WHW] to JWF, 6 June, 21 June, 29 June 1938; FER to [WH]W, 5 July, 4 Dec. 1939; WHW to FER, 1 Dec. 1939, SLO.

NMBC to WHW, 20 Dec. 1939, 18 Jan. 1940; WHW to [NMB]C, 13 Jan., 21 Jan. 1940; WHW to GWC, 13 Jan. 1940, SLO.

Tabor L. P. , “Progress report of the mapping program of the Cook Observatory”, PAAS, vi (1941), 147–8.

Kuiper G. P. , “Survey of asteroids”, ApJS, iii (1958), 289–487.

FER to WHW, 27 July, 5 Aug. 1939, 28 Feb., 5 June, 8 Aug., 17 Oct. 1940; WHW to FER, 30 Apr. 1939, 5 Feb. 1940; WHW to R. G. Sproul, 1 Mar. 1940, SLO.

WHW to FER, 7 Nov. 1940; FER to WHW, 8 Nov., 19 Nov. (telegram), 20 Nov., 25 Nov. 1940, SLO.

WHW to FER, 17 Mar., 28 Mar., 6 Apr., 15 Apr., 25 June 1941; FER to WHW, 19 Mar., 20 Mar., 22 Mar., 28 Mar. 1941; L. G. Potwin to FER, 21 Apr. 1941, SLO.

FER to WHW, 24 June, 10 Nov., 21 Nov. 1941; FER, “Lick 20″ PG” (memo), 14 Aug. 1941; WHW to FER, 6 Nov., 19 Nov. 1941, SLO.

F[ER] to W[HW] , 3 Mar., 26 Mar. 1942, 9 June 1943; WHW to FER, 5 Mar., 14 Apr. 1942, 9 June 1943, SLO.

WHW to FER, 26 July, 10 Aug., 23 Aug., 28 Aug. 1943; FER to WHW, 4 Feb., 12 June 1944, SLO.

CDS to RSP, 22 Oct., 8 Nov. 1945; RSP to CDS, 6 Nov. 1945; JHM to RSP, 23 Oct. 1945; FER to CDS, 8 Oct., 15 Nov. 1946, 2 Jan. 1947; CDS to FER, 13 Nov., 30 Dec. 1946; FER to WHW, 15 July 1946, SLO.

FER to CDS, 9 Dec. 1954, 29 Oct., 9 Nov. 1955; CDS to FER, 2 Nov. 1955, SLO.

CDS to K. Burns, 24 Jan. 1946; CDS to C. B. Watts, 23 Oct. 1946; CDS to WB, 23 Oct. 1946; WB to CDS, 2 Nov. 1946, 1 Feb. 1947; WB to [NU]M, 17 July 1947, 20 Jan., 18 Apr. 1948, SLO. CDS, “The program of the Carnegie 20-inch astrograph”, PASP, lix (1947), 1947–3; WHW, “On a proposal to use the extragalactic nebulae to measure the proper motions of stars, and in evaluating the precessional constant”, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, xc (1950), 1950–12; CDS and C. Wirtanen, “The distribution of the extragalactic nebulae”, AJ, lix (1954), 1954–304.

FER to CDS, 13 Mar. 1954; CDS to FER, 17 May 1954, SLO.