Q3 Biography: Alvan Graham Clark

Alvan Graham Clark

            Alvan Graham Clark was the son of Alvan Clark, thus making him Alvan Clark Senior, and Maria Pease Clark. The Clarks had another son, George Bassett, who was older than Alvan Junior. Alvan Senior was first a portrait painter and a calico engraver. He eventually grew into the interest of making telescopes. Alvan Junior's brother, George Bassett attempted to help Alvan Senior to make a reflecting telescope. George, who was an 1844 science student, attempted to cast and grind the telescope with Alvan Senior, but the two produced nothing solid. They then switched gears and attempted to create a refracting telescope. Eventually they were able to start a company that was producing and selling refracting telescopes. The company was named Alvan Clark and sons. 

            Alvan Clark Senior and George Bassett visited the Harvard College Observatory's refracting telescope. At the time this telescope was viewed to be one of the greatest refracting telescopes. The duo soon noticed problems with the glass of this telescope. Soon after the company was created they became known for fixing this issue on their own telescopes. They were known for large telescope with exceptional quality. Many people coveted these telescopes, or mainly the glass that the Clarks were so well known for. The Clarks produced the glass for numerous telescopes that are still in use today. Some of these telescopes are located at: the United States Naval Observatory, the Lick Observatory, the Yerkes Observatory, the Adler Planetarium, and several more. Thanks to the Clarks contribution towards the development of the telescope, America was very close to, if not equal to that of the greatness of the European telescopes. 

             Despite the original work for the company being done by Alvan Senior and George Bassett, Alvan Junior soon entered the business. Both Alvan Senior and Alvan Junior worked on the refinement and production of the lenses while George Bassett focused on the mechanical placement and construction of the lenses. When they completed a lens it was checked to make sure it was up to the company's standards. This was done by looking at either artificial or genuine stars. 

           Alvan Graham Clark, having the foundation for Astronomy laid for by his family's telescope company, accomplished many astronomical things within his lifetime. His main achievement was locating double stars, which are two stars that appear to be very close to each other. The main double star that he discovered was that of Sirius A and Sirius B. In 1844, a German astronomer predicted that Sirius was a double star due to its motion. This was later confirmed by Alvan Graham Clark. Sirius B is a small white dwarf star that accompanies Sirius A closely. Sirius B is a dim star with a magnitude of 8, whereas Sirius A is the brightest star in the night-time sky with a brightness of -1.5. 

           Alvan Graham Clark lived an accomplished life in the field of astronomy. His family's telescope company helped propel America into the greater production of telescopes. He also discovered around 14 double stars within his lifetime. After his father and brother's death, Alvan Junior continued on the family telescope business, and was even able to produce a forty in refracting telescope. Alvan Graham Clark died shortly after the opening of this telescope. At the time he was sixty-four years of age. He died on the ninth of June, 1897.