James Curley (astronomer) facts for kids
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James Curley (born October 26, 1796 – died July 24, 1889) was an important Irish-American astronomer and priest. He is best known for his work at Georgetown University and for helping to build its famous observatory.
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Early Life and Education
James Curley was born in Athleague, a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. Even though he didn't have much formal schooling when he was young, his amazing talent for mathematics was noticed. A teacher in his hometown helped him develop these skills.
When he was still a young man, James Curley left Ireland. He arrived in Philadelphia, USA, on October 10, 1817. For two years, he worked as a bookkeeper. After that, he started teaching mathematics in Frederick, Maryland.
Becoming a Priest and Teacher
In 1826, James Curley decided to study to become a Catholic priest. He joined a seminary in Washington, DC. While he was studying, he also taught classes there.
The seminary closed the next year. So, on September 29, 1827, he joined the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. This is a religious group within the Catholic Church. After training, he taught again in Frederick. In 1831, he began teaching science at Georgetown University. He continued his studies and became a priest on June 1, 1833. His first Mass was held at the Georgetown Visitation Monastery. He served as a chaplain there for 50 years.
Contributions to Astronomy
Father Curley spent the rest of his life at Georgetown University. He taught science and mathematics for 48 years. He had a big dream to build an observatory at the university. In 1844, he planned and oversaw the building of the Georgetown Observatory. He became its first director and held that job for many years.
One of his first major achievements was figuring out the exact latitude and longitude of Washington, D.C., in 1846. At first, his results were different from those found by the Naval Observatory. But after the first transatlantic cable was laid in 1858, it was discovered that Father Curley's measurements were very close to the truth. This showed how accurate his work was!
Legacy and Other Interests
Father Curley was also very interested in botany, which is the study of plants. However, he is most remembered for being an excellent teacher. He wrote a book called Annals of the Observatory of Georgetown College, D.C. This book described the observatory and how to use its instruments.
See also
- List of Roman Catholic scientist-clerics
