Charles Todd (astronomer)
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Sir Charles Todd KCMG FRS FRAS FRMS FIEE |
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| Born |
7 July 1826 Islington, London |
| Died | 29 January 1910 (aged 83) Semaphore, South Australia |
| Resting place | North Road Cemetery, Adelaide |
| Monuments | The Sir Charles Todd Observatory, the Sir Charles Todd Building |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Greenwich |
| Occupation | Astronomical and meteorological observer, and head of the electric telegraph department. |
| Notable work | Building the first telegraph line across Australia |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Gillam Bell |
| Children | Elizabeth, Charles, Hedley, Gwendoline, Maude, Lorna |
Sir Charles Heavitree Todd KCMG FRS FRAS FRMS FIEE(7 July 1826 – 29 January 1910) worked at the Royal Greenwich Observatory 1841–1847 and the Cambridge University observatory from 1847 to 1854. He then worked on telegraphy and undersea cables until engaged by the government of South Australia as astronomical and meteorological observer, and head of the electric telegraph department.
Todd was the son of grocer Griffith Todd and Mary Parker; he was born at Islington, London, the third of five children. Shortly after Charles's birth the family moved to Greenwich, where his father set up as a wine and tea merchant. Charles was educated and spent most of his life in Greenwich before moving to Australia.
In December 1841 he entered the service of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, under Sir George Biddell Airy. He was fortunate that his school leaving coincided with the Astronomer Royal being granted special funding to employ an additional four young men as computers to analyse, calibrate and publish a backlog of 80 years of data. While at the Royal Observatory he was one of the earliest observers of the planet Neptune in 1846.
He was promoted to Assistant Astronomer at the Cambridge Observatory in November 1847,and officially confirmed in the position the following February. While here he used the recently built Northumberland telescope, and he was the first person to take daguerreotype photographs of the moon through it. While at Cambridge he also gained experience in using the telegraph.
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