Harold Alden

Harold Lee Alden ( born January 10, 1890 in Chicago, Illinois, † February 3, 1964 in Charlottesville ) was an American astronomer.

He worked from 1925 to 1945 for twenty years a director of the Southern Yale University in South Africa, before he returned to the University of Virginia. There he worked as Professor of Astronomy, Chair of the astronomical Faculty and Head of the Leander McCormick Observatory. His main areas of work were the measurement of stellar parallax, the proper motion of stars and the observation of variable stars with long periods.

Alden submitted on June 30, 1960 his offices at the University of Virginia to retire. In recognition of his long affiliation with the University given the title of professor emeritus was conferred.

The Alden crater on the Moon is named after him.