Frank John Kerr
Encyclopedia
Frank John Kerr was an Australia
n astronomer
and physicist
who made contributions to human understanding of the galactic
structure of the Milky Way
. Born in St Albans
to Australian parents, Kerr returned with his family to Australia after the completion of World War I
. He received degrees in physics at the University of Melbourne
and an MA in astronomy from Harvard University
(1951).
In 1940, Frank had joined the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
(CSIRO) radiophysics laboratory in Sydney, Australia. He pioneered the use of the magnetron, and also studied superrefraction.
In Australia in late 1951, Kerr used a specially built 36-foot transit telescope
, the largest dish of its kind in Australia, and started mapping the Magellanic Clouds
, discovering considerable amounts of neutral hydrogen and an extended envelope around both clouds. From 1954 to 1955, Kerr was a member of the team that determined the rotation of the Magellanic Clouds and their masses. Kerr coined the term "galactic warp" to refer to the distorting effect of the Magellanic Clouds' gravity on the shape of our own galaxy.
Over the years he worked with various astronomers, including Colin Gum and Gart Westerhout
.
From 1966 to 1979, he was a visiting, then full, professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park
.
He died of cancer
at Silver Spring, Maryland
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n astronomer
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and physicist
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
who made contributions to human understanding of the galactic
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
structure of the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
. Born in St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
to Australian parents, Kerr returned with his family to Australia after the completion of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He received degrees in physics at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and an MA in astronomy from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(1951).
In 1940, Frank had joined the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
(CSIRO) radiophysics laboratory in Sydney, Australia. He pioneered the use of the magnetron, and also studied superrefraction.
In Australia in late 1951, Kerr used a specially built 36-foot transit telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
, the largest dish of its kind in Australia, and started mapping the Magellanic Clouds
Magellanic Clouds
The two Magellanic Clouds are irregular dwarf galaxies visible in the southern hemisphere, which are members of our Local Group and are orbiting our Milky Way galaxy...
, discovering considerable amounts of neutral hydrogen and an extended envelope around both clouds. From 1954 to 1955, Kerr was a member of the team that determined the rotation of the Magellanic Clouds and their masses. Kerr coined the term "galactic warp" to refer to the distorting effect of the Magellanic Clouds' gravity on the shape of our own galaxy.
Over the years he worked with various astronomers, including Colin Gum and Gart Westerhout
Gart Westerhout
Gart Westerhout is a Dutch astronomer. Well before completing his university studies at Leiden, he had already become well-established internationally as a radio astronomer in The Netherlands, specializing in studies of radio sources and the Milky Way Galaxy based on observations of radio...
.
From 1966 to 1979, he was a visiting, then full, professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
He died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
.