Watson, James C. (James Craig), 1838-1880

Professor of astronomy and director of the Observatory at University of Michigan and University of Wisconsin.

James Craig Watson (January 28, 1838-November 22, 1880) was a Canadian-American astronomer born in the village of Fingal, Ontario Canada. His family relocated to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1850. In 1857, Watson graduated from the University of Michigan where he had studied the classics, mathematics, and the principles of theoretical and practical astronomy taught by professor Franz Brünnow. After graduation, Watson worked as Brünnow's assistant, and when his mentor resigned in 1859, Watson was made professor of astronomy in charge of the Observatory. Brünnow returned in 1860, resigned again in 1863, and at this time, Watson assumed the position as second director of Detroit Observatory serving until 1879.

Watson contributed to various astronomical journals and was the author of Popular Treatise on Comets (1861) and Theoretical Astronomy (1868). Watson, in addition, made good use of the Observatory telescope. He was the discover of 22 asteroids, beginning with 79 Eurynome in 1863. One of his asteroid discoveries, 139 Juewa was made in Beijing when Watson was there to observe the 1874 transit of Venus.

Watson was a strong believer in the existence of the planet Vulcan, a hypothetical planet closer to the Sun than Mercury, which is now known not to exist (however the existence of small Vulcanoid planetoids remains a possibility). He believed he had seen two such planets during a July 1878 solar eclipse in Wyoming.

In 1879, Watson resigned his position at the University of Michigan to become director of the Washburn Observatory of the University of Wisconsin. He died November 22, 1880.