Nineteenth-century longitude determinations in the Great Lakes region: government-university collaborations

Abstract

The longitude problem - determining geographic position with precision on land or at sea - was one of the greatest scientific problems of all time. Yet, this fascinating history was virtually forgotten until 1993 when William J H Andrewes at Harvard University organized an international symposium and Dava Sobel wrote her best-selling book <italic>Longitude</italic> (1995). But, this recent attention stopped short of chronicling the important contributions made by nineteenth-century astronomical observatories in determining the longitude across America. University observatories collaborated on longitude determinations with government agencies such as the United States Lake Survey to enable them to perform accurate surveys of land and coastal areas. This research provides the historical context of nineteenth-century longitude determinations in America. Specific examples and details are drawn from Great Lakes longitude determinations performed through collaborations between the U. S. Lake Survey and academic astronomers at the Hudson Observatory at Western Reserve College, Harvard College Observatory, Hamilton College Observatory, and the University of Michigan Detroit Observatory.