The Michelson-Pease centennial

Harold A. McAlister

doi:10.1117/12.2560919

13 December 2020 The Michelson-Pease centennial

Harold A. McAlister

Proceedings Volume 11446, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VII; 1144604 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2560919
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2020, Online Only

Abstract

On the Monday evening of December 13, 1920, the first interferometric measurement of a stellar angular diameter was made. This talk commemorates the centennial of that landmark of observational astrophysics. It resulted from the collaboration of Albert Michelson, America’s first science Nobel laureate, and Francis Pease, the brilliant engineer-turned astronomer who designed the Mount Wilson 100-inch telescope and much of its instrumentation. This paper is a brief overview of how that measurement came to be made with a focus on the founding pioneers of interferometry and the small group of Mount Wilson astronomers who, in the 1920s, launched optical interferometry on the trajectory toward today’s facilities employing multiple-telescope, optical/infrared interferometric arrays.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Harold A. McAlister "The Michelson-Pease centennial", Proc. SPIE 11446, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VII, 1144604 (13 December 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2560919

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