Benjamin West (astronomer)
| Benjamin West | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 1730 Rehoboth, Massachusetts |
| Died |
August 26, 1813 Providence, Rhode Island |
| Fields | Astronomy |
Benjamin West (March 1730 – August 26, 1813) was an American astronomer, professor, and almanac publisher. He was the son of John West, a farmer.
Life and work
Born in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, he was largely an autodidact.[1] After a school he started in Providence, Rhode Island proved unprofitable, he opened a dry-goods and bookstore.[2] He then made clothes for soldiers during the American Revolutionary War.[2]
As part of a major international scientific effort,[2] West and Joseph Brown observed the transit of Venus on June 3, 1769, publishing An Account of the Observation of Venus upon the Sun the Third Day of June 1769.[1] The observation was conducted from a platform on the east side of Providence. The street has since been named Transit Street in honor of the event.[2]
He observed Lexell's Comet in July 1770.
In 1786 he was appointed professor of mathematics and astronomy at Rhode Island College (now known as Brown University), a post which he did not begin until 1788.[1]
Almanacs
West is known for publishing a series of almanacs between 1763 and 1793.[2] His first, titled An Almanack, for the year of our Lord Christ, 1763 was printed by William Goddard on the first printing press in Providence.[2] This almanac was enlarged in 1764 and published annually until 1781.[2]
Later life
Upon retirement from Brown (around 1798) he moved to Newport to start a school for navigation in his home.[1] From 1812[3] (or possibly 1802)[1] until his death in 1813 he was postmaster of Providence.
Honors
In 1770, West earned honorary degrees from Harvard University and Rhode Island College (known since 1804 as Brown University).[2]
In 1772 he received an honorary degree from Dartmouth College.[2]
In 1781 he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[2][4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Mitchell, Martha. Encyclopedia Brunoniana.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Spencer, Mark G. (2015). The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of the American Enlightenment. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 1096–1097. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ↑ Kimball, Gertrude Selwyn (1899). Pictures of Rhode Island in the Past, 1642-1833. Preston & Rounds Company. p. 63.
- ↑ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter W" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
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