Q:Facts:   - death date: december 2 , 1912    - field: astronomy      - work institution: american ephemeris and nautical almanac    - birth date: november 11 , 1828    - name: eben jenks loomis    - image: eben jenks loomis cph.3a01861.jpg    - birth place: oppenheim , new york   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of eben jenks loomis .
A:
eben jenks loomis -lrb- november 11 , 1828 -- december 2 , 1912 -rrb- was an american astronomer , born in oppenheim , new york .he attended the lawrence scientific school -lrb- harvard -rrb- in 1851-53 ; was assistant in the `` american ephemeris and nautical almanac '' office from 1850 until his retirement in 1900 .during this time he also held the position of special assistant at the united states naval observatory in washington , dc .loomis was a member of the united states eclipse expedition to africa in 1889 .he is author of `` wayside sketches '' -lrb- 1894 -rrb- ; `` an eclipse party in africa '' -lrb- 1896 -rrb- ; and `` a sunset idyl , and other poems '' -lrb- 1903 -rrb- .he was the father of mabel loomis todd .