Andrew McKellar
Encyclopedia
Dr. Andrew McKellar was a Canadian
astronomer
.
He was born in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
, to Scottish
parents, one of six children of John H. and Mary Littleson McKellar. He studied mathematics
and physics at the University of British Columbia
, graduating in 1930. He began graduate studies at the University of California
, being awarded his M.S.
in 1932 and a Ph.D.
the following year. Applying to the United States National Research Council
, he was awarded a post-doctoral study program for two years at MIT
.
In 1935 he joined the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
, where he performed research into astrophysics
. He was married to Mary Crouch (b. June 3, 1911, d. Nov. 30, 2000) in 1938, and the couple bore two children, Andrew Robert William (Bob) (b. March 28, 1945), and Mary Barbara (b. Nov. 1, 1946) (McKellar) Bulman-Fleming. During World War II
he served with the Royal Canadian Navy
, in the Directorate of Operational Research.
Following the war, from 1952 until 1953, he was visiting professor at the University of Toronto
department of physics. Between 1956 and 1958 he served as president of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
, then in 1959 he became president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
for a year. He continued working at the DAO up until four days before he died in Victoria, British Columbia
from complications due to lymphoma contracted during his service in the Navy during the War.
He was noted for his work in molecular spectroscopy
. Among his contributions was the first estimation of the temperature of interstellar gas (and therefore deep space
) as 2.4° K
based on the excitation of CN doublet lines, and finding evidence for the carbon-nitrogen nuclear
cycle as the energy source for carbon star
s. (The temperature estimate was subsequently confirmed with the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation
, which has a measured temperature of 2.725 °K.) During his career he was the author (or co-author) of 73 scientific publications.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
.
He was born in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, to Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
parents, one of six children of John H. and Mary Littleson McKellar. He studied mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and physics at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, graduating in 1930. He began graduate studies at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, being awarded his M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in 1932 and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
the following year. Applying to the United States National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
, he was awarded a post-doctoral study program for two years at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
.
In 1935 he joined the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, located on Observatory Hill, in Saanich, British Columbia, was completed in 1918 by the Canadian government. Proposed and designed by John S...
, where he performed research into astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
. He was married to Mary Crouch (b. June 3, 1911, d. Nov. 30, 2000) in 1938, and the couple bore two children, Andrew Robert William (Bob) (b. March 28, 1945), and Mary Barbara (b. Nov. 1, 1946) (McKellar) Bulman-Fleming. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served with the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
, in the Directorate of Operational Research.
Following the war, from 1952 until 1953, he was visiting professor at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
department of physics. Between 1956 and 1958 he served as president of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is a scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world...
, then in 1959 he became president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is a national, non-profit, charitable organization devoted to the advancement of astronomy and related sciences. At present, there are 29 local branches of the Society, called centres, located in towns and cities across the country from St. John's,...
for a year. He continued working at the DAO up until four days before he died in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
from complications due to lymphoma contracted during his service in the Navy during the War.
He was noted for his work in molecular spectroscopy
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
. Among his contributions was the first estimation of the temperature of interstellar gas (and therefore deep space
Deep Space
- Star Trek :* Battle of Deep Space Nine, the first major battle of the Dominion War* Deep Space Nine , space station in the fictional Star Trek universe* Deep Space Nine relaunch, number of novels released since 2000...
) as 2.4° K
Kelvin
The kelvin is a unit of measurement for temperature. It is one of the seven base units in the International System of Units and is assigned the unit symbol K. The Kelvin scale is an absolute, thermodynamic temperature scale using as its null point absolute zero, the temperature at which all...
based on the excitation of CN doublet lines, and finding evidence for the carbon-nitrogen nuclear
Atomic nucleus
The nucleus is the very dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom. It was discovered in 1911, as a result of Ernest Rutherford's interpretation of the famous 1909 Rutherford experiment performed by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden, under the direction of Rutherford. The...
cycle as the energy source for carbon star
Carbon star
A carbon star is a late-type star similar to a red giant whose atmosphere contains more carbon than oxygen; the two elements combine in the upper layers of the star, forming carbon monoxide, which consumes all the oxygen in the atmosphere, leaving carbon atoms free to form other carbon compounds,...
s. (The temperature estimate was subsequently confirmed with the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation
Cosmic microwave background radiation
In cosmology, cosmic microwave background radiation is thermal radiation filling the observable universe almost uniformly....
, which has a measured temperature of 2.725 °K.) During his career he was the author (or co-author) of 73 scientific publications.
Awards and honors
- M.B.E.Order of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for his war service. - Fellow of the Royal Society of CanadaRoyal Society of CanadaThe Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
. - The DAO 1.2-m telescope was named the McKellar Telescope.
- The crater McKellarMcKellar (crater)McKellar is a lunar impact crater on the Moon's far side, and it cannot be viewed directly from the Earth. It lies to the southwest of the crater Crookes, and the ray system from this impact covers the floor and sides of McKellar. To the south is the slightly smaller Bok.This crater is somewhat...
on the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named after him.
Partial bibliography
- McKellar, A., 1940, "Evidence for the Molecular Origin of Some Hitherto Unidentified Interstellar Lines", Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Vol. 52, No. 307, p. 187.
- McKellar, A., 1947, "Intensity Measurements on the Main and Isotopic Carbon Bands in Spectra of the R-Type Stars", Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Vol. 59, No. 349, p. 186.
- McKellar, A., 1950, "The C12 to C13 Abundance Ratio in Stellar Atmospheres", Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Vol. 62, No. 365, p. 110.
External links
- McKellar, Andrew — Canadian Encyclopedia.