Smithsonian Will Move Observatory Here Soon

The College Observatory will soon be associated with the Smithsonian Institution's Astrophysical Observatory to enlarge and coordinate the astronomical research programs of both institutions.

Fred L. Whipple, professor of Astronomy, will become Director of the Smithsonian's Observatory, whose headquarters will be moved to Cambridge, on his appointment July 1. Chairman of the Astronomy Department, he will continue teaching in addition to his duties in the new post.

Whipple explained last night the reason for moving the Smithsonian's headquarters here: "The interests of both observatories are very similar, and the change will enable us to launch a broad attack on the area of astronomical geophysics."

"The problems before us are not of the sort that can be solved by individuals," he continued, "and we will now have many more people working here, and thus have a greater opportunity to exchange ideas. I should say that the potentialities of both institutions have been greatly increased by the shift of the Smithsonian here," he concluded.

Whipple's joint appointments are expected to set a pattern by which high level Smithsonian astronomers would teach and do research here. Whipple said that this would be most advantageous in the training of astronomers at the University.

No formal merger of the two institutions is involved, and each will retain its individual observatories and other properties. Most of the Smithsonian Observatory's work will be done here, where research will be correlated, but it will continue to utilize its observatories in Chile and California.

The field of astronomical geophysics, with which the Observatories are most concerned, deals with the sun and its effect on the earth, especially through the impact of light on the earth and its atmosphere.