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 April 20, 1911, when George C. Comstock made a visit.
George C. Comstock (1855-1934). [Source: Stebbins, J. (1938) “Biographical Memoir of George Cary Comstock.” National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoirs 20:160-182.]Next to his name, George Cary Comstock (1855-1934) wrote, “Madison, Wis. Washburn Observatory.” He was the director of Washburn Observatory (part of the University of Wisconsin – Madison) from 1887 until his retirement in 1922.
As an astronomer, he mostly studied stellar aberration, atmospheric refraction, and the proper motion of double stars. He was a founding member of the American Astronomical Society in 1899 and was a coauthor of its constitution. He served as its first secretary, and in 1925 was elected president.
In 1899 he became a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
