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Tag: Harkness

William Harkness – From Civil War Surgery to Astronomy
February 1, 2023 — Naval Meteorology and Oceanographic Command honors William Harkness for contributions to astronomy during many years spent at the U.S. Naval Observatory. William Harkness, a mathematics professor, inventor, hydrographer, medical doctor, astronomer, and meteorologist, was born in Scotland in 1837. Though showing interest in meteorology at a young age, Harkness turned to the medical field and received his degree from New York Homeopathic Medical College in 1862. He served as a volunteer surgeon with the Union forces in the Civil War and during the same year was appointed an aide on the staff of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Following the Civil War, Harkness was directed towards a growing issue: discrepancies of magnetic compasses under the influence of ironclad ships. Harkness experimented by mounting four compasses of varying design to an ironclad ship, traveling to various ports around the world, and directing the ship to various cardinal directions while recording magnetic declination, inclination, and horizontal force — simultaneously comparing readings with true bearing. Through thousands of observations, Harkness produced the most elaborate study on behavior of compasses within armored ships ever recorded at the time. ... MORE

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