astronomy

Hiram Perkins

Hiram Perkins is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hiram Perkins rather than just read about it. In short: Hiram Mills Perkins (1833-1924) was Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Ohio Wesleyan University and benefactor of the Perkins Telescope in the Perkins Observatory. He helped build to observatory buildings and also left an endowment for the school, and also his house was later used as a dormitory before it was sold off.

Key takeaways

Hiram Perkins belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hiram Perkins to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hiram Perkins from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hiram Mills Perkins (1833-1924) was Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Ohio Wesleyan University and benefactor of the Perkins Telescope in the Perkins Observatory. He helped build to observatory buildings and also left an endowment for the school, and also his house was later used as a dormitory before it was sold off. Perkins taught at the university from 1873 to 1907. The Perkins telescope was the 3rd largest telescope in the world when it achieved first light in 1931. The telescope was eventually moved to Lowell Observatory, and the 69-inch mirror was sent to a museum when it was replaced by a 72 inch one at that observatory. In 1880 Perkins built a house at 235 W. William St, which was later used as a dorm by OWU. Perkin's house survived into the 21st century, and was used as a dorm by OWU university. The home (later dorm) was located 235 W. William St. In the 2017 the school sold it off for 170,000 USD, to a developer who planned to convert it into a hotel. 10029 Hiramperkins, a main belt asteroid discovered in 1981 by Edward Bowell at the Anderson Mesa Station of the Lowell Observatory, was named in honor of Hiram Mills Perkins.

See also List of largest optical telescopes in the 20th century

References

External links About the Perkins observatory

Illustrations

Hiram Perkins: Hiram Perkins — Hiram Perkins

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hiram Perkins

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hiram Perkins claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hiram Perkins before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hiram Perkins ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hiram Perkins

In research: Hiram Perkins appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hiram Perkins in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hiram Perkins is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1833 births, 1924 deaths, American activist stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hiram Perkins outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hiram Perkins in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hiram Perkins means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hiram Perkins out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hiram Perkins in simple terms?

Why does Hiram Perkins matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hiram Perkins?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hiram Perkins.