Glenn White
Encyclopedia
Glenn J. White is currently Professor of Astronomy
at the Open University
, UK, and Research Group Leader of the Astronomy Group at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
. He currently carries out research on star formation and on exoplanets.
at Jodrell Bank Observatory, the University of Manchester
and at the University of Kent
(1969–1972), he worked for a short period in x-ray astronomy
at the University of Leicester
, before joining Queen Mary College
, University of London
in 1976. He was Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of London (1993–2000), Professor of Space Science at the University of Kent (2000–2005), and is currently Professor of Astronomy at the Open University, a post held jointly with the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
since 2005. He has also held visiting positions at the University of Tokyo
(1987), the University of Stockholm (1998) and the University of Cambridge
(1999). He was involved in the early development of astronomical millimetre and submillimetre wavelength astronomy in the 1970s and 1980s.
He is currently working on problems in star formation
and submillimeter wavelength spectroscopy
studies of the gas that forms star
s, and has also studied the interaction of radio signals with plants and biological material. He is currently developing space missions to detect the atmospheres of Earth-like extrasolar planet
s, such as the European Space Agency
's Darwin Mission, and the Japanese Space Agency
's AKARI
mission, which was successfully launched in February 2006, and the Herschel Space Observatory
.
,The Sunday Times
and BBC One
.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
at the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, UK, and Research Group Leader of the Astronomy Group at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is one of the national scientific research laboratories in the UK operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council . It is located on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus at Chilton near Didcot in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom...
. He currently carries out research on star formation and on exoplanets.
Scientific career
After studying radio astronomyRadio astronomy
Radio astronomy is a subfield of astronomy that studies celestial objects at radio frequencies. The initial detection of radio waves from an astronomical object was made in the 1930s, when Karl Jansky observed radiation coming from the Milky Way. Subsequent observations have identified a number of...
at Jodrell Bank Observatory, the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
and at the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
(1969–1972), he worked for a short period in x-ray astronomy
X-ray astronomy
X-ray astronomy is an observational branch of astronomy which deals with the study of X-ray observation and detection from astronomical objects. X-radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so instruments to detect X-rays must be taken to high altitude by balloons, sounding rockets, and...
at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
, before joining Queen Mary College
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1976. He was Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of London (1993–2000), Professor of Space Science at the University of Kent (2000–2005), and is currently Professor of Astronomy at the Open University, a post held jointly with the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is one of the national scientific research laboratories in the UK operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council . It is located on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus at Chilton near Didcot in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom...
since 2005. He has also held visiting positions at the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
(1987), the University of Stockholm (1998) and the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(1999). He was involved in the early development of astronomical millimetre and submillimetre wavelength astronomy in the 1970s and 1980s.
He is currently working on problems in star formation
Star formation
Star formation is the process by which dense parts of molecular clouds collapse into a ball of plasma to form a star. As a branch of astronomy star formation includes the study of the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds as precursors to the star formation process and the study of young...
and submillimeter wavelength 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...
studies of the gas that forms star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s, and has also studied the interaction of radio signals with plants and biological material. He is currently developing space missions to detect the atmospheres of Earth-like extrasolar planet
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
s, such as the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
's Darwin Mission, and the Japanese Space Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
's AKARI
Akari
Akari is a Japanese surname and given name and term meaning "light" or "glimmer". It is also associated with:* AKARI, in astronomy, is an infrared astronomy satellite developed by JAXA, in cooperation with institutes of Europe and Korea...
mission, which was successfully launched in February 2006, and the Herschel Space Observatory
Herschel Space Observatory
The Herschel Space Observatory is a European Space Agency space observatory sensitive to the far infrared and submillimetre wavebands. It is the largest space telescope ever launched, carrying a single mirror of in diameter....
.
Awards
- The Kelvin Lectureship in Physics, of The British Association, 1991 (awarded for Popularisation of Science)
- Daiwa Adrian PrizeDaiwa Adrian PrizeThis Daiwa Adrian Prize is an award given by The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation to scientists who have made significant achievements in science through Anglo-Japanese collaborative research....
, 2004 (Co-holder for work on the Japanese AKARI Space mission)
Media
White is an occasional contributor to the media, including the television programme The Sky At NightThe Sky at Night
The Sky at Night is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show has had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first airing on 24 April 1957, making it the longest-running programme with the same presenter in television history.The...
,The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
and BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.