Charles Greeley Abbot was born on May 31, 1872 in Wilton, New Hampshire, to his parents who were farmers. Abbot had four sibilings, he was the youngest. He went to public schools, but ended his school career at Philips Andover Academy. He then went on to attend MIT. He graduated in 1894 with his focus on chemical physics. In 1895 Abbot went on to receive his M.Sc (Master of Science) in osmotic pressure. Abbot was extremely proficient at laboratory work. This proficiency gained the attention of someone named Samuel Pierpont Langley, Samuel was at the time Secretary to the Smithsonian institute, and “Director of the Smithsonian’s Astrophysical Observatory” (siarchives.si.edu). Although, Abbot didn’t have any background in Astronomy, Langley hired him…show more content… He also came up with a portable search light. These achievements made him good friends with General Electric.
Abbot came up with way to improve the bolometer and with Kramer’s help made the spectrobolometer. Abbot, with Kramer’s help also made the pyrheliometer, able to readings the Sun’s radiation.
Abbot personality was a reason for his success. Abbot was brilliant in his own right, but because he so likeable, other scientists and moguls helped him try to achieve his goal. His passion for his mission was his drive and anyone back then could see that. His drive and determination can be seen because his tenure was so long. His tenure did come without hardship though, but he managed those hardships. Abbot, unlike Langley took criticism head-on. Abbot, again with Kramer’s help and Kramer’s staff made a “differencing engine called a periodometer”(nap.edu). Abbot, believed he derived the Sun’s energy cyclic variations to a set of 23 all acting at once. He never was able to prove it. More analysis was acquired(funding) and at that time the technology was not advanced enough to distinguish between something so microscopically
