Samuel Langley

Biography

Samuel Pierpont Langley, an astronomer and the third Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, spent his life probing the mysteries of the solar atmosphere and advocating for science education in America. His astute measurements of solar radiation and advances in astrophotography brought new precision to the study of our nearest star.

Langley also directed daring experiments in aeronautics, building steam-powered models that proved heavier-than-air machines could sustain flight, laying groundwork for those who would follow in his wake.