Solon Irving Bailey

Lore & Background

Bailey made extensive studies of variable stars in globular clusters in the southern skies. He performed a light-curve analysis measuring the rotation period of the near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros during its 1903 opposition. He discovered the asteroid 504 Cora on June 30, 1902. Bailey was acting director of Harvard College Observatory from 1919 to 1921 after the death of Edward Charles Pickering and prior to the appointment of Harlow Shapley. He worked as a senior colleague with Henrietta Leavitt. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1892. Bailey died on June 5, 1931, aged 76, in Hanover, New Hampshire, from an illness caused by heart disease.

Reader's Guide

Solon Irving Bailey's significance lies in his foundational work for Harvard College Observatory's southern station, which enabled systematic astronomical observations from the Southern Hemisphere. His discovery of asteroid 504 Cora and his light-curve analysis of 433 Eros contributed to early asteroid studies. His meteorological research in Peru was pioneering, conducted in harsh high-altitude environments. As acting director of Harvard College Observatory, he provided continuity between the tenures of Edward Charles Pickering and Harlow Shapley. His collaboration with Henrietta Leavitt supported her important variable star work. The Boyden Station he helped establish was later moved to South Africa in 1927, becoming Boyden Observatory, a lasting legacy of his site-selection efforts. Bailey's career exemplifies the expansion of American astronomy into global observing networks.

Did You Know?

• Bailey discovered the asteroid 504 Cora on June 30, 1902.
• He was acting director of Harvard College Observatory from 1919 to 1921.
• He performed a light-curve analysis measuring the rotation period of asteroid 433 Eros during its 1903 opposition.
• Bailey was one of the first to carry out meteorological studies in Peru, traveling extensively in desolate high-altitude areas.