• Cart$0
  • Log In
  • Cart
  • Checkout

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Events
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Blog

  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Join our Facebook Group
  • RSS

An Astronomer in World War II

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Uncategorized / by Quarky Bruce
November 10, 2016

It’s the day before Remembrance Day, when we look back to remember the sacrifices of our ancestors in the two World Wars and by those in more recent operations overseas in our uncertain world. In the modern world, we know about the role of scientists in total war mainly from the dramatic results of the Manhattan Project. Decades of work towards nuclear power were lost, as all efforts were redirected towards getting the atomic bomb before Germany.  During these global conflicts of the twentieth century, many scientists were thrown at the problems created by modern warfare.

Walter Roberts was the astronomer in charge of the Climax Observatory (later renamed the High Altitude Observatory) in Colorado, 1940-45. He made daily observations of the Sun, using a coronagraph, a solar observing devise that had only been discovered by a Frenchman (Bernard Lyot) nine years before he took over operations at the Colorado observatory. Essentially, the coronagraph filters out the unwanted glare of the Sun so astronomers can view the much fainter edge (corona), to observe solar flares and prominences. Before the invention of the coronagraph, observers would have to wait for a total eclipse of the Sun to be able to do this and even then they would only have a couple minutes of viewing time, if the weather cooperated.

Making use of this new instrument, at the Climax Observatory, Walter Roberts discovered that there was a link between radio interference on Earth and solar activity. The importance of this discovery, during World War II, caused it to be immediately classified and for the rest of the war Roberts reported his daily observations directly to the US Navy. Because of the critical importance of radios to coordinate military operations, his reports on solar activity were transmitted to Allied Command in various theatres to ensure no major operations were launched when they would be disrupted by solar activity, effectively jamming their communications. In the lead up to D-Day, Roberts’ reports were transmitted daily to nervous planners in England, to ensure that one of the largest amphibious landings of the war didn’t become a complete fiasco.

Because of the quality of the work by Walter Roberts, during and after the war, Colorado has become a world headquarters of solar astronomy. Straddling the sciences of astronomy and meteorology, his work pushed the boundaries of our understanding, about the relationship between the Sun and our terrestrial weather.  Walter Roberts spent the last decades of his life applying his scientific knowledge and will against a new threat to humanity: Climate Change.

← 2016 Summer Science Reading List (previous entry)
Comments

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Search the Blog

Blog Categories

  • Project Of The Month
  • Uncategorized
Popular
  • An Astronomer in World War IINovember 10, 2016, 1:23 pm
  • Super SlidesMarch 29, 2012, 9:32 pm
  • Modular Polyhedra SculptureApril 4, 2012, 9:53 am
  • Eco-Friendly Shipping and PackagingApril 12, 2012, 8:09 pm
Recent
  • An Astronomer in World War IINovember 10, 2016, 1:23 pm
  • 2016 Summer Science Reading ListJuly 7, 2016, 2:23 pm
  • Lunar Eclipse from 2011, taken through a 203mm (8") telescope.Lunar Eclipse! Sunday, Sept. 27th, 2015September 26, 2015, 5:35 pm
  • Summer Reading ListJuly 8, 2014, 2:34 am
Comments
Tags
about Celestron microscope new stuff paper craft polyhedra prepared slide pack projects welcome

Product Categories

  • Anatomical Models
  • Digital & Analog Scales
  • Electronics
  • Interactive Science Kits
  • Lab Equipment
  • Magnifiers
  • Microscopes
  • Microscopy Accessories
  • Sports Optics
  • Sports Optics Accessories
  • Telescopes
  • Telescope Accessories
  • Toys & Games

Recent Products

  • Bric Structures Elenco SCBric1 Bric Structures (Snap Circuits) $63.95
  • Music Machine Elenco SMRT1032 Smartivity Music Machine (mechanical xylophone) $65.95
  • Star Adventurer Tripod Extension SkyWatcher S20565 Star Adventurer Tripod Extension $55.95
  • Star Adventurer Tripod SkyWatcher S20555 Star Adventurer Tripod $125.95
  • CG5 Universal Mounting Plate Celestron 94213 CG5 Universal Mounting Plate (narrow) $73.95
  • Basic Smartphone Adapter Celestron 81035 Basic Smartphone Adapter, 1.25″ $27.95
  • Red Light Flashlight Celestron 93588 Red Light Flashlight $25.95
  • M42 Spacer Kit Celestron 93618 M42 Spacer Kit $53.95

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @QuarkyScience

Pages

  • About Us
  • Beanstream Testimonial
  • Blog
  • Cart
  • Change Password
  • Checkout
  • Checkout → Pay
  • Contact Us
  • e-Commerce Usage Documentation
  • Edit My Address
  • Events
  • Lost Password
  • My Account
  • Order Received
  • Projects
  • Shop
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Track your order
  • Tutorials
  • View Order
  • Welcome to Quarky Science

Useful Links

  • Quarky Science on Facebook
  • Quarky Science on Twitter
  • Terms & Conditions
© Copyright - Quarky Science -  |  Payment Gateway powered by Beanstream
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Join our Facebook Group
  • Subscribe to our RSS Feed