Overview: In 1887, the first International Astrophotographic Congress launched the Carte du Ciel, an international astronomical project to photograph every star in the sky, and compile a catalog, known as the Astrographic Catalogue, listing the positions of stars from the fourteenth magnitude down to the eleventh magnitude, from this photographic atlas. The Cartes Photographiques du Ciel received by the Harvard College Observatory as part of the Carte du Ciel documents portions of the star mapping...

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The Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1890) were merged in 1973 to form The Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The collection consists of award certificates presented chiefly by international exhibitions showcasing national achievements to the Harvard College Observatory in recognition of its contributions to the study of astronomy from 1893 to 1933.

Overview: The Harvard College Observatory was founded in 1839. In 1973, the Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1890) merged to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Center is a research institute that carries on studies in astronomy, astrophysics, earth and space sciences, and science education. The computation records, including logbooks, notebooks, and manuscripts, principally document the analysis of stars in Cambridge and...

Overview: The Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1890) merged in 1971 to form The Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Center is a research institute that carries on studies in astronomy, astrophysics, earth and space sciences, and science education. The records in this series, kept by the Harvard College Observatory Administrative Officer, including correspondence, memoranda, and reports, document the Harvard College Observatory's...

Overview: The Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1890) merged in 1971 to form The Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Center is a research institute that carries on studies in astronomy, astrophysics, earth and space sciences, and science education. The bulk of the records in this series document the Harvard College Observatory's management of the George R. Agassiz Station (Harvard, Massachusetts) and Boyden Observatory (Bloemfontein,...

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This series contains drawings of solar eclipses, nebula, comets, and solar prominences from the 1850s to 1872, held by the Harvard College Observatory. The mid-nineteenth century drawings demonstrate how illustrations were used to visually document astronomical occurrences that were challenging to convey in writing or to capture using early photographic methods.

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The Comet Donati or Donati's Comet is a long-period comet named after Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Donati who first observed it on June 2, 1858. After the Great Comet of 1811, it was the brightest comet to appear in the nineteenth century. The drawings in this collection by George P. Bond illustrate telescopic views of the Comet Donati as it appeared in 1858. Descriptions of the observations made of the comet's tail, nucleus, and envelope are written on the back of each drawing.

Overview: The Harvard College Observatory was founded in 1839. In 1973, the Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1890) merged to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Center is a research institute that carries on studies in astronomy, astrophysics, earth and space sciences, and science education. The Harvard College Observatory financial records document the Observatory’s income and expenditures from 1863 to 1952, and include...

Overview: The Harvard College Observatory photographs and programs from scientific conferences and meetings consists of photographs, programs, and pamphlets documenting the participation of astronomers in professional organizations and conferences held at various locations in the United States, Canada, and Europe between 1898 and 1943. The photographs predominately depict groups of astronomers, particularly individuals from the Harvard College Observatory, posed outside of observatories, universities,...

Overview: The Harvard College Observatory photographs of the construction of Agassiz Station contains 253 black-and-white photographs documenting the building and installation of the 85-foot radio telescope and its adjoining solar laboratory at the George R. Agassiz Station located in Fort Davis, Texas from 1961 to 1962. These images depict the construction of the radio telescope at various stages; construction workers engaged in the building process, and Alan Maxwell, Harvard College Observatory...

Overview: Between December 13, 1869, and the summer of 1872, electric signals were sent via the Atlantic cable between Brest, France, and the Harvard College Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, via Duxbury, Massachusetts in an effort to accurately determine the difference of longitude between North America and Europe. The Harvard College Observatory records of the longitude campaign from Cambridge-Duxbury-Brest contains notes, telegraph messages, data charts, and reports, relating to topics such...

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A total solar eclipse occurred on August 7, 1869 and was visible from parts of the northeastern United States. The Harvard College Observatory sent a team, led by director Joseph Winlock, to Shelbyville, Kentucky to observe and make recordings of the eclipse. The Harvard College Observatory records related to the solar eclipse of 1869 include reports, notes, data booklets, notebooks, and photographs of the Observatory staff members at their campsite in Kentucky.

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A total solar eclipse occurred on August 31, 1932 and was visible in its totality across parts of Canada and New England. The Harvard College Observatory records related to the solar eclipse of 1932 include correspondence, clippings, drawings, notes, and photographs of the eclipse taken by amateur astronomers.

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The Harvard College Observatory records relating to the meteor showers of 1898 and 1899 contain correspondence and related materials, including lists of observers, an annotated map, and a chart of "Observations of November Meteors," mostly documenting the meteor shower of 1898. The majority of the series contains incoming correspondence to the Harvard College Observatory from observers located across the United States and around the world, describing the meteor shower of 1898.

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The Harvard College Observatory reports written by William Cranch Bond and Joseph Winlock contain various types of reports written by nineteenth century Observatory directors Bond and Winlock, dating from 1844 to 1874. The series contains full Harvard College Observatory annual reports and extracts, as well as documents appended to those reports on a variety of astronomical topics.

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The Leonids are a recurring meteor shower that occurs in November, once every 33 years. The series consists of a volume recording the observations made by Russian astronomers of the Leonids meteor shower in November 1899. The records are written in Russian with occasional translations into English.

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Henry A. Sawyer (born 1892), an astrophotographer, began his career at the Harvard College Observatory in 1920, moving to Oak Ridge Station (later George R. Agassiz Station) in 1932. Correspondence, reports, instructions, and memoranda in this series document Henry A. Sawyer's work as an observer at Agassiz Station examining variable stars and galaxies of the Milky Way using an 8-inch Ross Lundin and 16-inch Metcalf telescope.

Overview: Harvard's first astronomical observatory was established in 1839 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and became the Harvard College Observatory. Boyden Station was established to allow for observations from the Southern Hemisphere and was located in Arequipa, Peru. The Station was moved to a spot near Bloemfontien in the Orange Free State, South Africa in 1927. These records document the establishment and administration of the Boyden Station observatory in Arequipa, Peru, and the astronomical and...

Overview: The Harvard College Observatory Boyden Station was established in Bloemfontein, South Africa in 1927 in order to conduct astronomical observations of the southern hemisphere. The Records of Harvard College Observatory Boyden Station document the scientific and administrative functions and activities of the South African observatory, beginning with its genesis in 1908 and continuing into the mid-1950s. The series is chiefly comprised of incoming and outgoing correspondence between Observatory...

Overview: Harlow Shapley (1885-1972) was an astronomer who served as Director of the Harvard College Observatory from 1921 to 1952. The records document Shapley’s tenure as director and primarily consist of his incoming and outgoing correspondence files. The letters, including three volumes of outgoing correspondence, relate to Observatory operations, research, and activities, particularly its cooperation with other astronomers and observatories from throughout the United States and abroad. Also...

Overview: Joseph Winlock (1826-1875) was an astronomer and mathematician who served as the third director of the Harvard College Observatory from 1866 until his death on June 11, 1875. The records document Joseph Winlock's tenure as director, and primarily consist of Winlock's incoming and outgoing correspondence files. The letters relate to Observatory publications, relationships with other scientific institutions, and discussions of astronomical and meteorological information. The records also...

Overview: Bart J. Bok (1906-1983), an astronomer, was the Robert Wheeler Willson Professor of Astronomy at Harvard University (1947-1957). Bok's principal fields of research included the study of the Milky Way, cosmic evolution, dark Nebulae, the spiral structure of the Galaxy, Star Clouds of Magellan, and radio astronomy. The Records of the Harvard College Observatory Associate Director, Bart J. Bok: administrative files, including correspondence, agendas, proposals, meeting minutes, scientific...

Overview: The Records of the Harvard College Observatory Associate Director Bart J. Bok : subject files document the activities, research, administrative functions, and social events of the Agassiz and Boyden Stations in Harvard, Massachusetts and Bloemfontein, South Africa, respectively, from 1944 to 1957. The bulk of this series contains records pertaining to Boyden Station; incoming and outgoing correspondence highlights Bok’s engagement with the station's astronomers and staff members. Newspaper...

Overview: In the mid-nineteenth century, the Chronometric Expedition was carried out by the Harvard College Observatory, under the direction of William Cranch Bond and in conjunction with the United States Coast Survey. The expedition used chronometers that were made by William Bond & Son, the Bond family's private business, to determine differences of longitude between the observatories in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Liverpool, England. The records primarily consist of notebooks, data sheets,...

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The circular letters, notices, and forms in this series document activities and operations related to the Harvard College Observatory from 1877 to 1949. The Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1890) merged in 1973 to form The Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Center is a research institute that carries out studies in astronomy, astrophysics, earth and space sciences, and science education.