Tag Archives: Popular Astronomy

Reflections on a calendar

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This entry is part 9 of 43 in the series And Then I Wrote

And then I wrote… in September our 2021 Calendars become available! What I suspect most people don’t notice is that on the back of every calendar is a little reflection that I write, based on a suggestion — often just a word — from Dr. Brendan Thomson, the volunteer who does all the legwork of putting these incredible calendars together. Over the next three weeks I though I would run the texts of these reflections from the calendars going back to 2016. If I can find earlier calendars I may add to this list! And since these are meant to encourage people to join our guild and get a calendar, I am not putting them behind the usual firewall… 2017 Calendar Why does the Vatican support an astronomical observatory? It’s a common question we get asked, and there are many simple answers.  The Observatory is a way of showing the Church’s support for science. It’s a way of demonstrating that, … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook: July 4, 1913 – Curvin Gingrich

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This entry is part 37 of 65 in the series Specola Guestbook

Since its founding in 1891, many people have passed through the doors of the Vatican Observatory.  A quick perusal of our guestbook reveals several Names, including Popes, nobel laureates, astronauts, actors, and saints. Today’s guestbook entry is from July 4, 1913, when Curvin H. Gingrich made a visit. Next to his name, Curvin Henry Gingrich (1880-1951) wrote, “Popular Astronomy, Goodsell Obsy. Northfield, Minn.” He was the third editor of the magazine Popular Astronomy. From 1909 until his death in 1951, he was on the faculty at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. His research involved the measurement of positions and proper motions of stars, and later photometry. He joined the editorial staff of Popular Astronomy in 1910, and became its editor in 1926. Under his leadership, the magazine developed a close relationship with the American Astronomical Society.  Unfortunately, the magazine died shortly after Gingrich in 1951.

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