Mary Watson Whitney

"was established and equipped at the opening of the college in 1865. The has an of 12⅓ inches aperture and a focal length of 16¾ feet. It was originally made by }} of New York, but in 1872 the glass was re-cut by }}, and in 1888 the telescope was re-mounted by & }}. It was also at that time provided with electrical illumination for the . The magnifying powers, negative and positive, range from 150 to 600. A made by }} was added in 1890. This spectroscope has a prism for star spectra and a }} grating for the solar spectrum. There is also a }} direct-vision spectroscope. The has an objective aperture of 3¾ inches. It was made by }} of Philadelphia. In 1889 it was re-mounted by }}. The clock and chronograph are of }} manufacture."

"Firstly, we wish to know whence comes the comet and whither it goes. We wish to follow its path, as it sweeps its way through our solar system. As this orbit is controlled by the same law of gravity which controls all celestial motion, an exact knowledge of a comet's course among the planets, gives the basis of investigation regarding its relation to the solar system and to the realms of space beyond. Therefore one important line of investigation is the determination of the positions of the comet in the sky, from whence may be obtained its orbit in space. Secondly, the astronomer wished to know what are the nature and constitution of comets. The investigation of this question is of comparatively recent origin, and belongs to ."

"... Suppose a large number of values, subject to variations on either side of a , and suppose these variations bound by no common law. Then, if a sufficiently large number of such values are taken into consideration, it will be found that the variations on either side of the mean value will counterbalance one another. If, then, we regard the absolute motions of the stars as subject to no common law, i.e., if we suppose the stars to be pursuing their courses independent of any common , and if a very large number of s are taken together, if would follow from this principle, that in the aggregate the peculiar proper motions would cancel one another, and the mean result would be unaffected by them and would give only the . This method of treatment, based upon the , is called the method of "," and is of wide application ..."

"Although banquets at professional meetings (like the chemists' "misogynists' dinner" of 1880) had long excluded women, the ban began to seem a little less intimidating around 1900, when several women scientists began in their own quiet way to challenge some of these age-old restrictions. Thus, for example, Mary Whitney of Vassar College, who had attended the founding meeting of the American Astronomical Society at in Wisconsin in 1899 with her protégée and successor, , was still not sure whether they would be welcome at the society's banquet in Washington, D.C., in 1902. President noticed her unease and wrote to assure her that they were indeed expected to attend ... Newcomb's encouragement induced these women to go, and thereby set a precedent for later meetings."