Willard P. Gerrish

1874 - 1937

BiographyWillard P. Gerrish was one of the first observers at the Blue Hill Observatory in 1886, and later an assistant professor of astronomy at Harvard College Observatory and an engineer for many of the Harvard telescopes.

He designed a method for driving telescopes by means of an electric motor synchronized by the pendulum of a clock. The method was first applied to Harvard's 24-inch reflector in 1907. Gerrish also designed a form of polar telescope and made one with a 12-inch mirror for Harvard. He also was the designer of the rotating desk of the observatory director, Edward C. Pickering, which was later also used by Harlow Shapley.

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