Seth Barnes Nicholson Papers: Finding Aid
Finding aid prepared by Brooke M. Black, April 15, 2011.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical
Gardens
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
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The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Overview of the Collection
Title: Seth Barnes Nicholson Papers
Dates (inclusive): 1914-1963
Collection Number: mssNicholson Seth papers
Creator:
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963.
Extent: 445 items in 3 boxes.
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: The collection contains the astronomical research and correspondence of American
astronomer Seth Barnes Nicholson (1891-1963), dating from 1914 to 1963. The majority of Nicholson’s research
material deals with his study of Jupiter and its moons.
Language: English.
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Seth Barnes Nicholson Papers, The Huntington Library,
San Marino, California.
Provenance
Deposit, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington Collection,
1988.
Approximately fifty additional separate collections form the Mount Wilson Papers
of the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington and are available
for research in the Manuscripts Department of the Huntington Library. Forms part
of: The Mount Wilson Papers of the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of
Washington.
Biographical Note
American astronomer Seth Barnes Nicholson (1891-1963) was born in Springfield,
Illinois, on November 21, 1891. He received a Bachelors in Science from Drake
University, Des Moines, Indiana, in 1911 and a Ph.D. from the University of
California in 1914. He discovered Sinope, the ninth moon of Jupiter, while observing
the seventh moon, Pasiphaë, at Lick Observatory. The computation of its orbit was
the subject of his Ph.D. thesis.
Nicholson went on to discover three other moons of Jupiter, along with two
asteroids, during his decades’ long career at the Wilson Observatory. His main focus
at Wilson Observatory was to monitor solar activity and he wrote the annual sunspot
activity reports for most of his career. He made significant discoveries regarding
sunspots, especially in regards to their magnetic properties and terrestrial
effects.
Nicholson served as the editor of the
Publications of the Astronomical
Society of the Pacific
from 1943 to 1955 and was twice the president of
the society. He was awarded the Bruce Medal in 1963, the year he died in Los
Angeles.
Scope and Content
The collection contains the astronomical research and correspondence of American
astronomer Seth Barnes Nicholson (1891-1963). The majority of Nicholson’s research
material deals with his study of Jupiter and its moons (Box 1). His other research
(Box 2) includes his study of magnetic activity, the asteroid Icarus, Trojan
asteroids, Pluto, Venus, the Sun and Sun spots (there is one item dealing with both
Jupiter and the Sun in Box 1). There are some pieces of correspondence in the
research folders.
Most of the correspondence (Box 3) is between Nicholson and other astronomers
throughout the world; the majority of it is also about Jupiter and its moons,
asteroids and sun spots. Notable participants in the collection include: Giorgio
Abetti, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Robert Grant Aitken, Joseph Ashbrook,
Ira Sprague Bowen, Leland E. Cunningham, Sturla Einarsson, Charles Federer, Paul
Herget, Samuel Herrick, Theodor S. Jacobsen, Vladimir Kourganoff, Karl Otto
Kiepenheuer, Gerard Kuiper, Willem Luyten, M. G. J. Minnaert, Yngve Öhman, Jan Oort,
William Henry Pickering, Frederick Hanley Seares, Harlow Shapley, Otto Struve,
Alexander N. Vyssotsky, Fred L. Whipple and Fritz Zwicky.
The collection also includes several photographs; their presence is noted in the
container list and on the folders.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in three series:
- Box 1: Jupiter Research Box 2: Other Research
- Box 3: Correspondence
The research series are organized alphabetically by folder title; the
correspondence is organized alphabetically by correspondent name.
Indexing Terms
Subjects
Humason, Milton L.
(Milton La Salle), 1891-1972.
Nicholson, Seth B.
(Seth Barnes), 1891-1963.
Carnegie Institution of
Washington.
Mount Wilson and
Palomar Observatories -- History -- Sources.
Mount Wilson
Observatory -- History -- Sources.
Astronomers -- United States --
Archives.
Astronomical observatories --
California -- Wilson, Mount (Mountain)
Astronomy -- Photographs.
Astronomy -- Research.
Astronomy -- United States -- History
-- 20th century -- Sources.
Asteroids.
Sunspots.
Icarus
(Asteroid)
Jupiter (Planet) --
Observations.
Jupiter (Planet) --
Satellites.
Pluto (Dwarf
planet)
Venus
(Planet)
Forms/Genres
Letters (correspondence) -- United
States -- 20th century.
Photographs -- United States -- 20th
century.
Research (document genres) -- United
States -- 20th century.
Additional Contributors
Abetti, Giorgio, 1882-1982.
Aitken, Robert Grant, 1864-1951.
Ashbrook, Joseph, d. 1980.
Bowen, Ira Sprague, 1898-1973.
Einarsson, Sturla.
Federer, Charles, 1909-.
Herget, Paul, 1908-.
Herrick, Samuel, 1911-1974.
Jacobsen, Theodor S.
Kourganoff, V. (Vladimir), 1912-.
Kiepenheuer, K. O. (Karl Otto)
Kuiper, Gerard P. (Gerard Peter),
1905-1973.
Luyten, Willem Jacob, 1899-1994.
Minkowski, Rudolf, 1895-.
Öhman, Yngve, 1903-.
Oort, Jan Hendrik.
Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b.
1881.
Pickering, William H. (William
Henry), b. 1858.
Roemer, Elizabeth, 1929-.
Shapley, Harlow, 1885-1972.
Struve, Otto, 1897-1963.
Vyssotsky, A. N. (Alexander N.), b.
1888.
Whipple, Fred L. (Fred Lawrence),
1906-2004.
Zwicky, F. (Fritz), 1898-1974.
Seares, Frederick Hanley, 1873-,
recipient.
Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
recipient.
Indexing: Added Entries and Subjects
Indexing: Added Entries
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
- Addressee of Otto Struve, 1897-1963 letter (1951, July 5). Box 3
(49).
- Addressee of Alan Tower Waterman, 1892-1967 letter (1953, Mar. 25). Box 3
(53).
Kuiper, Gerard P. (Gerard Peter), 1905-1973
- Author of letter to Frederick Hanley Seares, 1873- (1938, July 7). Box 2
(2).
Seares, Frederick Hanley, 1873-
- Addressee of Gerard P. (Gerard Peter) Kuiper, 1905-1973 letter (1938,
July 7). Box 2 (2).
Indexing: Subjects
Humason, Milton L. (Milton La Salle), 1891-1972
- Subject in Seth B. (Seth Barnes) Nicholson, 1891-1963. Note re: Pluto
Image (1919). Box 2 (6).
- Subject in Ira Sprague Bowen, 1898-1973 letters (1946-1960). Box 3
(9).
Folder 1
Herrick, Samuel, 1911-1974 and Charles G. Hilton. “1958 Ephemerides of Jupiter’s Ninth and Twelfth Satellites: manuscript.
3 items. Includes type draft and two pages of notes.
Folder 2
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Charts: Jupiter (1914-1915). 1 item.
Folder 3
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Jupiter IX: Perturbations from 1913 to 1914:” report (1913-1914). 1 item.
Folder 4
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Jupiter IX: Perturbations from 1914 to 191[6]:” report (1914-1916). 1 item.
Folder 5
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Jupiter IX: Perturbations from 1914 to 1916: Correction of Orbit:” report (1914-1916).
1 item.
Folder 6
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963 and Beatrice W. Mayberry. “Jupiter IX: Perturbations from 1916 to 1918:” report
(1916-1918). 1 item.
Folder 7
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Measures and Reductions of Spectra: Object JVII:” charts and notes (1939-1960).
1 item.
Folder 8
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Measures and Reductions of Spectra: JVII and JIX:” charts and notes (1939-1940).
8 items.
Folder 9
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Measures and Reductions of Spectra: JVIII:” charts and notes (1938). 13 items.
Folder 10
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Measures and Reductions of Spectra: JXIII:” charts and notes (1953-1957). 7
items. Includes one letter by Elizabeth Roemer, 1929- to Rudolf Minkowski, 1895- (1957, Mar. 19).
Folder 11
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Miscellaneous Notes: Jupiter (1938-1947). 63 items. Includes: two photographs,
three reprints and fourteen letters (between Nicholson and Guy W. Clark, etc.).
Folder 12
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Positions of Satellites of Jupiter 1946: report (1946-1947). 1 item.
Folder 13
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Sun and Jupiter: tables [undated]. 4 items.
Folder 1
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Asteroids: tables, charts and notes [undated]. 25 items.
Folder 2
Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b. 1881. “Interferometer Star Diameters:” manuscript (1936-1954). 5 items. Includes notes
and one letter by Gerard P. (Gerard Peter) Kuiper, 1905-1973 to Frederick Hanley Seares, 1873- (1938, July 7).
Folder 3
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Magnetic Activity: reprint, charts, tables and notes (1941-1950). 23 items.
Folder 4
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Measures and Reductions of Spectra: Icarus:” charts and notes (1950). 9 items.
Folder 5
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Measures and Reductions of Spectra: Trojan asteroids:” charts and notes (1958-1959).
26 items.
Folder 6
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Note re: Pluto Image (1919). 1 item. Note: Location of negatives is unknown.
Folder 7
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Observational Data: Venus:” tables (1920-1921). 17 items.
Folder 8
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. “Recurrent Geomagnetic Activity and Lunar Declination: reprint and tables (1948-1959).
41 items. Includes letter by Nicholson to H. Raudsaar (1959, Feb. 3).
Folder 9
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Spot Counts: charts and tables (1941- 1946). 1 item.
Folder 10
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Spots: tables (1954). 1 item.
Folder 11
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Solar Rotation Formulae: manuscript [undated]. 1 item.
Folder 12
Nicholson, Seth B. (Seth Barnes), 1891-1963. Sun Spots near Equator: tables (1935). 1 item.
Folder 1
Abetti, Giorgio, 1882-1982 (1950-1951). 3 items.
Folder 2
Adams, Charles H. (1948-1949). 3 items.
Folder 3
Aitken, Robert Grant, 1864-1951 (1949-1951). 8 items.
Folder 4
American University of Beirut (1951). 2 items.
Folder 5
Ashbrook, Joseph, d.1980 (1955). 2 items.
Folder 6
Beals, Carlyle Smith, 1899- (1951, Oct. 11). 1 item.
Folder 7
Biesecker, Earl B. (1951). 2 items.
Folder 8
Bowen, E. G. (1949, Jan. 10). 1 item.
Folder 9
Bowen, Ira Sprague, 1898-1973 (1946-1960). 17 items. Includes charts and graphs.
Folder 10
Boyer, Jacques (1955, Mar. 24). 1 item.
Folder 11
Bracewell, Ronald N. (Ronald Newbold), 1921-2007 (1963, Apr. 3). 1 item.
Folder 12
Cameron, Bob (1954, May 5). 1 item.
Folder 13
Church, Fred (1951). 3 items. Includes newspaper clipping.
Folder 14
Cunningham, Leland E. (1950-1953). 11 items. Includes items about Icarus and Jupiter’s moons.
Folder 15
Czaplicki, Helen S. (1962, Dec. 3). 1 item.
Folder 16
Dillon, Edward S. (1947). 2 items.
Folder 17
Einarsson, Sturla (1951-1954). 17 items.
Folder 18
Federer, Charles, 1909- (1951). 7 items. Includes newspaper clipping, sheet with negatives of sun spots, and telegram (1929).
Folder 19
George, Kenneth (1955, Mar. 16). 1 item.
Folder 20
Goldberg, Leo (1952). 2 items.
Folder 21
Graves, Vera (1950, Sep. 6). 1 item.
Folder 22
Herget, Paul, 1908- (1951-1955). 15 items. Includes notes.
Folder 23
Herrick, Samuel, 1911-1974 (1951-1955). 10 items. Includes notes.
Folder 24
Hix, Elsie (1949). 6 items.
Folder 25
Jackson, J. (John), 1887-1958 (1928-1931). 3 items.
Folder 26
Jacobsen, Theodor S. (1950). 2 items.
Folder 27
Jeffers, Hamilton Moore (1948, May 12). 1 item.
Folder 28
Kiepenheuer, K. O. (Karl Otto) (1951-1953). 3 items.
Folder 29
Kourganoff, V. (Vladimir), 1912- [1951]. 1 item.
Folder 30
Kroll, Clifton H. (1953, July 29). 1 item.
Folder 31
Luyten, Willem Jacob, 1899-1994 (1949-1954). 3 items.
Folder 32
Marsden, Brian G. (1962). 2 items.
Folder 33
Maxwell, A. (1950). 3 items.
Folder 34
Mayall, N. U. (Nicholas Ulrich), 1906-1993 (1952, Feb. 20). 1 item.
Folder 35
Minnaert, M. G. J. (Marcel Gilles Jozef), 1893-1970 (1951). 2 items.
Folder 36
Morgan, William, 1906- (1928, Apr. 12). 1 item.
Folder 37
Mumford, George S. (George Saltonstall), 1928- (1954, Nov. 17). 1 item.
Folder 38
Murchie, Guy, 1907- (1960). 2 items.
Folder 39
Murphy, James K. (1962). 4 items.
Folder 40
Musen, Peter, 1912- (1953, Dec. 18). 1 item.
Folder 41
Öhman, Yngve, 1903- (1949). 3 items.
Folder 42
Oort, Jan Hendrik (1953). 3 items.
Folder 43
Petrie, R. M. (1951). 2 items.
Folder 44
Pickering, William H. (William Henry), b. 1858 (1934). 6 items.
Folder 45
Rabe, Eugene K. (1951). 2 items.
Folder 46
Roemer, Elizabeth, 1929- (1958). 2 items. 47. Shapley, Harlow, 1885-1972 (1951). 2 items.
Folder 48
Stroud, W. G. (1949). 3 items.
Folder 49
Struve, Otto, 1897-1963 (1951, July 5). 1 item. Addressee: Officers of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Copy.
Folder 50
Van Biesbroeck, George, 1880-1974 (1951-1954). 5 items.
Folder 51
Van de Kamp, Peter, 1901- (1951, Feb. 27). 1 item.
Folder 52
Vyssotsky, A. N. (Alexander N.), b. 1888 (1954). 2 items.
Folder 53
Waterman, Alan Tower, 1892-1967 (1953, Mar. 25). 1 item. Addressee: Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Copy.
Folder 54
Whipple, Fred L. (Fred Lawrence), 1906-2004 (1962). 2 items.
Folder 55
Whistler, Donald F. (1950-1952). 4 items.
Folder 56
Zwicky, F. (Fritz), 1898-1974 (1954, Dec. 17). 1 item.
