John Adelbert Parkhurst

John Adelbert Parkhurst (* September 24, 1861 in Dixon, Illinois, † March 1, 1925 in Williams Bay, Wisconsin ) was an American astronomer.

He attended Rose Polytechnic in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he graduated in 1886 with a bachelor's degree. After graduating, he returned to Marengo back in Illinois. There he ran a small private observatory, which he used mainly for observation of variable stars. 1897 Yerkes Observatory was built in the vicinity and in 1898 he joined the local team as a volunteer research assistant. In 1900 he was accepted as an assistant. He stayed for the next 25 years as a member of the observatory and was later appointed as associate professor at the University of Chicago, where he specialized in applied astronomy.

His most important work was in the field of photometry. He took part in three expeditions to solar eclipses, but only came in his last participation in 1925 to enjoy clear viewing opportunities. During his work he published about 100 articles on astronomy, both before and during his time at the Yerkes Observatory. In 1905 he was elected a member of the Royal Astronomical Society. On 27 February 1925, he suffered a brain hemorrhage and died a few days later.

The crater Parkhurst on the Moon is named after him.

Literature reference

• Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Vol 10, New York, 1975, p. 320-321.
• Obituary Notices: Fellows: - Parkhurst, John A. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol 86, 1926, p. 185-186.