Editing Albert A. Michelson (section)

=== Early measurements ===
Michelson was fascinated by light all his life.  Once asked why he studied light, he reputedly said, "because it's so much fun".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Master of Light|url=https://www.theattic.space/home-page-blogs/2019/12/13/the-master-of-light|website=The Attic|access-date=7 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202073206/https://www.theattic.space/home-page-blogs/2019/12/13/the-master-of-light|archive-date=February 2, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As early as 1869, while serving as an officer in the [[United States Navy]], Michelson started planning a repeat of the rotating-mirror method of [[Léon Foucault]] for measuring the speed of light, using improved optics and a longer baseline. He conducted some preliminary measurements using largely improvised equipment in 1878, about the same time that his work came to the attention of [[Simon Newcomb]], director of the Nautical Almanac Office who was already advanced in planning his own study.

Michelson's formal experiments took place in June and July 1879. He constructed a frame building along the north sea wall of the Naval Academy to house the machinery.<ref>Michelson, Albert A. "[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11753/11753-h/11753-h.htm Experimental Determination of the Velocity of Light Made at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis]".</ref> Michelson published his result of 299,910&nbsp;±&nbsp;50&nbsp;km/s in 1879 before joining [[Simon Newcomb|Newcomb]] in Washington DC to assist with his measurements there. Thus began a long professional collaboration and friendship between the two.

[[Simon Newcomb]], with his more adequately funded project, obtained a value of 299,860&nbsp;±&nbsp;30&nbsp;km/s, just at the extreme edge of consistency with Michelson's. Michelson continued to "refine" his method and in 1883 published a measurement of 299,853&nbsp;±&nbsp;60&nbsp;km/s, rather closer to that of his mentor.

[[File:Albert Abraham Michelson 1918.jpg|thumb|230px|[[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lt. Cmdr.]] Albert A. Michelson while serving in the [[U.S. Navy]]. He rejoined the U.S. Navy in World War I,<ref name="Nobel">{{cite web |title=Albert A. Michelson – Biographical |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1907/michelson/biographical/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222043500/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1907/michelson/biographical/ |archive-date=22 December 2021 |access-date=9 July 2022}}</ref> when this portrait was taken.]]