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Sir Francis Graham-Smith (born 25 April 1923) is a British astronomer. He was the thirteenth Astronomer Royal from 1982 to 1990 and was knighted in 1986.[1]

Francis Graham-Smith
Francis Graham-Smith in 2009
Born	25 April 1923  (age 99)
Alma mater	University of Cambridge Rossall School Downing College
Occupation	Astronomer
Awards	Fellow of the Royal Society (1970) Royal medal (1987)
Academic career
Fields	Radio astronomy
Institutions	Royal Observatory University of Manchester
Position held	Astronomer Royal (1982–1990)

Biography

Education

He was educated at Rossall School,[2] Lancashire, England, and attended Downing College, Cambridge from 1941.[3]

Career

In the late 1940s he worked at the University of Cambridge on the Long Michelson Interferometer.

In 1964 he was appointed Professor of Radio Astronomy the University of Manchester and in 1981 director of the Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories, part of the University of Manchester at Jodrell Bank. He was also Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory from 1975 to 1981.

He appeared in Episode 13 of Series 4 of Treasure Hunt when the show visited Jodrell Bank, giving presenter Anneka Rice a piggy back to allow her to reach a clue.[4]

Bibliography

• Optics (1971)
• Pathways to the Universe (1988)
• Pulsar Astronomy (1990)
• An Introduction to Radio Astronomy (1997)
• Unseen Cosmos (2013)
• Eyes on the Sky (2016)

Personal life

Graham-Smith is an avid bee-keeper and kept up this hobby well into his 90s, looking after the hives at Jodrell Bank. He also inspired the creation of the St Andrews Amateur Beekeeping Society.[5]

He lived with his wife Elizabeth in the Old School House in Henbury, Cheshire, from 1981 until her death in 2021. They had met when they were both working with Martin Ryle in 1945-6 in Cambridge in the early days of radio astronomy.[6]

Honours

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1970 [1] and was awarded their Royal Medal in 1987.

He was president of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1975 to 1977.

He was the thirteenth Astronomer Royal from 1982 to 1990.

He won the Richard Glazebrook Medal and Prize in 1991.

Patronage

Sir Francis Graham-Smith is a Distinguished Supporter of Humanists UK[7] is the President of Macclesfield Astronomical Society and is a patron of Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society.

Lectures

In 1965 he was invited to co-deliver the Royal Institution Christmas Lecture on Exploration of the Universe.

References

External links

• Scienceworld biography
• Online catalogue of F. Graham Smith's working papers as director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory (held at Cambridge University Library)

На других языках

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[de] Francis Graham-Smith

Francis Graham-Smith (* 25. April 1923) ist ein britischer Astronom (Radioastronomie). Er war von 1982 bis 1990 Astronomer Royal.

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- [en] Francis Graham-Smith

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[fr] Francis Graham-Smith

Sir Francis Graham-Smith (né le 25 avril 1923) est un astronome britannique. Il est Astronome royal de 1982 à 1990. Il reçoit la médaille royale de la Royal Society en 1987.

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[it] Francis Graham-Smith

Sir Francis Graham-Smith (25 aprile 1923) è un astronomo britannico.

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[ru] Грэм-Смит, Фрэнсис

Сэр Франсис Грэм-Смит (англ. Sir Francis Graham-Smith), род. 25 апреля 1923) — британский астроном.

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