Paul Hodge is Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at the University of Washington. He received his B.S. from Yale University in 1956 and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1960. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Washington in 1965, he taught and did research at Harvard University, Hale Observatories, California Institute of Technology, University of California at Berkeley, and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The author of eighteen books and more than 470 articles, Hodge received the Beckwith Prize in astronomy from Yale in 1956 and the Bart J. Bok Prize in astronomy from Harvard in 1962.
Hodge has twice served as chairman of the astronomy section of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science (1978-1979 and 1983-1984)
and has been the editor of the
The collection consists entirely of star charts acquired or used by Paul W. Hodge for his studies relating to the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are the visible evidence of the two closest galaxies to our own. They were first recorded during Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe in the sixteenth century and are only visible from the southern hemisphere. Images in the collection fall into three categories: (1) Large Magellanic Cloud prints generated from glass plates made with the A.D.H. Schmidt telescope at the Boyden Observatory in South Africa from 1958-1959, (2) Small Magellanic Cloud prints shot using the telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile from 1968-1975, and (3) a Small Magellanic Cloud print shot by Harvard University researchers in the 1890s at Arequipa, Peru. The collection includes one series of Large Magellanic Cloud prints and one series containing the Peruvian Small Magellanic Cloud print, but the Chilean Small Magellanic Cloud prints have been arranged into five (5) series according to magnification and wavelength.
Images of the stars in the clouds are recorded visually on prints that are keyed to a master chart of the entire cloud. In addition, the clouds are viewed at different light wavelengths so there are several similar views at different wavelengths (i.e. B or V). Prints are identified by wavelength letter and chart number, and many have plate numbers which refer to the original photographic glass plates from which they were printed. The charts are also differentiated by high and regular magnification. Charts keyed in two digits (i.e. 48) denote regular magnification and charts keyed in three digits (i.e. 101) denote high magnification.
Apparently, numerous plates and prints at Harvard were discarded.
Professor Hodge indicates that many of the existing prints may now be unique.
His co-author, Harvard's Frances W. Wright (
The collection is arranged in seven series by chart title.
Open to all users. Records stored offsite; advance noticed required for use.
Some restrictions exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Contact the repository for details.
Collection donated by Paul W. Hodge, July 1, 1985.
Processed in 1985.
Photographs shot at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.
Photograph shot by Harvard University researchers in the 1890s at Arequipa, Peru.
Photographic prints made from glass plates shot using the A.D.H. Schmidt telescope at the Boyden Observatory in South Africa.
Photographs shot at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Regular magnification, V wavelength.
Photographs shot at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. High magnification, V wavelength.
Photographs shot at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. High magnification, B wavelength.
Photographs shot at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Regular magnification, B wavelength.