Sullivan README Background Mr. Frank R. Sullivan was night Assistant/engineer employed by Yerkes Observatory who regularly assisted with the observational programs. He made three series of observations himself that he recorded in his own logbook. The Telescopes: Sullivan’s first series of observations was 51 plates taken 1904 - 1907 with a 6-inch telescope mounted upon the 40-inch refractor and exposed when that instrument was being used for other observations. His second series was 23 plates of planets, mostly Mars, made in 1924 with the 40-inch refractor and an enlarging lens. The logbook’s third series are 26 visual observations made in 1930 of some of F. Ross’s then newly discovered variable stars. The telescope used is not recorded but was likely the 40-inch The location of Yerkes Observatory is: longitude = 88° 33’ W, latitude = 42° 34’ N. The Plates The 51 plates taken in 1904-1907 are denoted the Sullivan S series. Most measure 6½ x 8½-inch with a few smaller. The planet photographs measure 4 x 5-inch and contain multiple images. These were added to, and are filed with, the FP series that has plates taken with the 40-inch refractor using an enlarging lens. The Logbooks There are two logbooks that cover the Sullivan plates. Sullivan’s logbook that gives his records of the plates and his visual observations. The Barnard logbook was prepared in the mid-1930s and is a compilation of the plates taken by E. E. Barnard supplemented with a number of other early plate series the Observatory then held, including Sullivan’s. Sullivan’s first series plates are listed separately near the end of the Barnard logbook; his planet plates are included with the FP listings that originally had photographs from 1905 - 1910 to which similar plates, like Sullivan’s, were later added. There are some differences between the entries in the two logbooks. The Searchable files There are two csv files that can be viewed or downloaded to search for plates of interest. The “Sullivan-Full.csv” file lists the plates by plate number. The “Sullivan-By-Dec.csv” file is the Full.csv file sorted by decreasing declination for the star fields and then by planet name which allows a quicker way to see if the collection contains plates of interest. Any cell in a csv file that is blank indicates there is no information available or it has yet to be calculated (for example, a time of mid-exposure when the start time and end time are known). Description of the columns of the csv files Record number - Record number in the catalog Plate series - Sullivan S or FP Plate number - Identifying number of the plate Date - The date the plate was exposed as recorded. Object - The target field or object of the exposure. RA - Right ascension of the plate center (for star fields) Dec - Declination of the plate center (for star fields) Length of exposure - Exposure length (in minutes for star plates, in seconds for planet plates) Exposure Start - Start time of the exposure (when recorded Exposure Mid - Mid-time of the exposure (not yet calculated) Exposure End - End time of the exposure (when recorded) Time type - Type of time used (CST for star plates, sidereal time for planet plates) Emulsion + Filter - Emulsion type and filter used (if any) Plate dimensions - Physical size of the plate, in inches Observer - Assumed observer (Sullivan) Location - Location of plate when this catalogue was prepared: Yerkes, U. Chicago Blank indicates that plate not in vault. Notes - Notes recorded in the log book. File prepared: 2022 October 29