astronomy

Loyal Blaine Aldrich

Loyal Blaine Aldrich 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 Loyal Blaine Aldrich rather than just read about it. In short: Loyal Blaine Aldrich (November 20, 1884 – February 11, 1965) was an American astrophysicist and astronomer of the Smithsonian Institution. Upon graduation from the University of Wisconsin in 1907, Aldrich became a Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory assistant to Charles Greeley Abbot.

Key takeaways

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Connect Loyal Blaine Aldrich to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Loyal Blaine Aldrich from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Loyal Blaine Aldrich (November 20, 1884 – February 11, 1965) was an American astrophysicist and astronomer of the Smithsonian Institution. Upon graduation from the University of Wisconsin in 1907, Aldrich became a Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory assistant to Charles Greeley Abbot. The observatory conducted astrophysical research on solar radiation and the amount of energy from the Sun that strikes the outer edge of the Earth's atmosphere. Abbot became director of the observatory in 1907 and established solar observing stations in the United States, South America, and Africa to carry out research on solar radiation. Aldrich became director of the observatory from 1942 to 1955. Harvard University astronomy department chairman Fred Lawrence Whipple became director of the observatory when Aldrich retired.

Family Aldrich married Elizabeth Stanley (born October 9, 1896). Their son, Stanley Loyal Aldrich, assisted his father operating the observing station in the Chilean Andes until returning to the United States in 1957 so his daughters might receive education at Windham, Maine, where he taught high school mathematics.

Studies Aldrich assisted Abbott's mapping of the infrared solar spectrum and carried out systematic studies of variation in solar radiation, its relation to the sunspot cycle, and its effect on weather variation. He also studied the nature of atmospheric transmission and absorption and assisted Abbot perfecting various standardised instruments now widely used for measuring the Sun's heat.

Publications A study of the lead voltameter (1907) Smithsonian pyrheliometry revised (1913 with Charles Greeley Abbot) New evidence on the intensity of solar radiation outside the atmosphere (1915 with Abbot & Frederick E. Fowle) The pyranometer : an instrument for measuring sky radiation (1916 with Abbot) On the use of the pyranometer (1916 with Abbot) On the distribution of radiation over the sun's disk and new evidences of the solar variability (1916 with Abbot & Fowle) The Smithsonian eclipse expedition of June 8, 1918 (1919) The reflecting power of clouds (1919) The melikeron - an approximately black-body pyranometer (1922) The distribution of energy in the spectra of the sun and stars (1923 with Abbot & Fowle) A study of body radiation (1928) An improved water-flow pyrheliometer and the standard scale of solar radiation (1932 with Abbot) Supplementary notes on body radiation (1932) The standard scale of solar radiation (1934 with Abbot) Smithsonian pyrheliometry and the Andean volcanic eruptions of April 1932 (1944) The solar constant and sunspot numbers (1945) Smithsonian pyrheliometry and the standard scale of solar radiation (1948 with Abbot) Energy spectra of some of the brighter stars (1948 with Abbot) The Abbot silver-disk pyrheliometer (1949) Note on Fowle's spectroscopic method for the determination of aqueous vapor in the atmosphere (1949)

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Loyal Blaine Aldrich

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Loyal Blaine Aldrich 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 Loyal Blaine Aldrich 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 Loyal Blaine Aldrich 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 Loyal Blaine Aldrich

In research: Loyal Blaine Aldrich 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 Loyal Blaine Aldrich 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: Loyal Blaine Aldrich is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1884 births, 1965 deaths, 20th-century American astronomers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Loyal Blaine Aldrich 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 Loyal Blaine Aldrich in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Loyal Blaine Aldrich in simple terms?

Why does Loyal Blaine Aldrich 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 Loyal Blaine Aldrich?

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 Loyal Blaine Aldrich.