Peter Millman
Encyclopedia
Peter Mackenzie Millman was a Canadian
astronomer
. He worked at the Dunlap Observatory from 1933 until 1940. In early 1941 he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force
. In 1946 he joined the Dominion Observatory
in Ottawa
. He then transferred to the National Research Council
in 1955.
During his graduate studies at Harvard University
he started a systematic study of meteor
spectra
at the suggestion of Harlow Shapley
in 1929. He continued the work on meteors throughout his active scientific life. He organized one of his most successful observational campaign in 1946, when at October 9 a spectacular shower of the Giacobinids provided many important photographic spectra.
He was awarded the J. Lawrence Smith Medal
in 1954.
A crater
on Mars
and the minor planet
2904 Millman
were named in his honor.
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 worked at the Dunlap Observatory from 1933 until 1940. In early 1941 he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
. In 1946 he joined the Dominion Observatory
Dominion Observatory
The Dominion Observatory was an astronomical observatory in Ottawa, Canada that operated from 1902 to 1970. The Observatory was also an institution within the Canadian Federal Government. The observatory grew out of the Department of the Interior's need for the precise coordinates and timekeeping...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. He then transferred to the 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...
in 1955.
During his graduate studies at 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...
he started a systematic study of meteor
METEOR
METEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
spectra
Electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The "electromagnetic spectrum" of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object....
at the suggestion of Harlow Shapley
Harlow Shapley
Harlow Shapley was an American astronomer.-Career:He was born on a farm in Nashville, Missouri, and dropped out of school with only the equivalent of a fifth-grade education...
in 1929. He continued the work on meteors throughout his active scientific life. He organized one of his most successful observational campaign in 1946, when at October 9 a spectacular shower of the Giacobinids provided many important photographic spectra.
He was awarded the J. Lawrence Smith Medal
J. Lawrence Smith Medal
J. Lawrence Smith Medal is awarded by the National Academy of Sciences for investigations of meteoric bodies. The medal is in honor of its namesake, J. Lawrence Smith.-Further reading:* Willson, Lee Anne. Presented April 2006....
in 1954.
A crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and the minor planet
Minor planet
An asteroid group or minor-planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
2904 Millman
2904 Millman
2904 Millman is a main-belt asteroid discovered on December 20, 1981 by Ted Bowell at Flagstaff .- External links :*...
were named in his honor.