author
David P. (David Peck) Todd
1855–1939
An American astronomer and teacher, he became known for photographing the 1882 transit of Venus and for leading eclipse expeditions around the world. His career joined careful scientific observation with a gift for bringing astronomy to students and general readers.
1 Audiobook
Astronomy: The Science of the Heavenly Bodies
by David P. (David Peck) Todd
About the author
Born in Lake Ridge, New York, in 1855, David Peck Todd studied at Columbia before graduating from Amherst College in 1875. He later returned to Amherst as professor of astronomy and became a central figure in the college's scientific life for decades.
Todd is best remembered for producing a complete set of photographs of the 1882 transit of Venus, a major astronomical event of his era. He also organized and joined numerous expeditions to observe solar eclipses in different parts of the world, combining research, travel, and public interest in astronomy.
He was married to writer and editor Mabel Loomis Todd, and their lives became closely connected with Amherst's intellectual and literary circles. David Peck Todd died in 1939, leaving a legacy as both a working astronomer and an energetic popularizer of science.