Simon Mitton
Encyclopedia
Simon Mitton is an astronomer and writer. He is based at St Edmund's College, Cambridge
. He has written numerous astronomical works. The most well known of these is his biography of fellow Cambridge astronomer Fred Hoyle
.
He is a founder Director of Total Astronomy Limited, a company based in Cambridge that provides media services for the astronomy and space industries.
Mitton is the managing editor of the International Journal of Astrobiology
.
Earlier in his career, while employed by the Cambridge University Press, he was the editor in question when "Stephen Hawking famously put the success of his bestseller A Brief History of
Time down to advice from his editor that for every equation in the book the readership would be halved. As a result the book included only a single equation, E = mc2."
and Trinity College, Oxford
. For his doctoral research in high-energy astrophysics he studied at the Cavendish Laboratory
, Cambridge, under Nobel Laureate Sir Martin Ryle
FRS. His postdoctoral career started under Sir Fred Hoyle
FRS at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge
.
, and the life of Copernicus.
Currently he is collaborating with a colleague at Princeton University Observatory with whom he is writing a major book on our present understanding of the nature of the universe. This book has been accepted by Princeton University Press.
He has also contributed to research on the Cambridge astrophysicist Sir Arthur Eddington (1882–1944), and has an interest in Georges Lemaitre
, one of the College's most distinguished former members (1923–24)
Named after him
St Edmund's College, Cambridge
Saint Edmund's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is the second oldest of the four Cambridge colleges oriented to mature students, which only accept students reading for either Masters or Doctorate degrees, or undergraduate degrees if they are aged 21 or older, the...
. He has written numerous astronomical works. The most well known of these is his biography of fellow Cambridge astronomer Fred Hoyle
Fred Hoyle
Sir Fred Hoyle FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician noted primarily for his contribution to the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and his often controversial stance on other cosmological and scientific matters—in particular his rejection of the "Big Bang" theory, a term originally...
.
Career
He is Director of Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science, and is an Affiliated Research Scholar of the Department of the History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge.He is a founder Director of Total Astronomy Limited, a company based in Cambridge that provides media services for the astronomy and space industries.
Mitton is the managing editor of the International Journal of Astrobiology
International Journal of Astrobiology
The International Journal of Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary scientific journal established in 2002 that covers research on the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth and beyond. It accepts papers in astronomy, space science, planetary science, and biology that have a...
.
Earlier in his career, while employed by the Cambridge University Press, he was the editor in question when "Stephen Hawking famously put the success of his bestseller A Brief History of
Time down to advice from his editor that for every equation in the book the readership would be halved. As a result the book included only a single equation, E = mc2."
Education
Simon Mitton studied physics and astrophysics. His undergraduate studies were at the Clarendon LaboratoryClarendon Laboratory
The Clarendon Laboratory, located on Parks Road with the Science Area in Oxford, England , is part of the Physics Department at Oxford University...
and Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
. For his doctoral research in high-energy astrophysics he studied at the Cavendish Laboratory
Cavendish Laboratory
The Cavendish Laboratory is the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge, and is part of the university's School of Physical Sciences. It was opened in 1874 as a teaching laboratory....
, Cambridge, under Nobel Laureate Sir Martin Ryle
Martin Ryle
Sir Martin Ryle was an English radio astronomer who developed revolutionary radio telescope systems and used them for accurate location and imaging of weak radio sources...
FRS. His postdoctoral career started under Sir Fred Hoyle
Fred Hoyle
Sir Fred Hoyle FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician noted primarily for his contribution to the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and his often controversial stance on other cosmological and scientific matters—in particular his rejection of the "Big Bang" theory, a term originally...
FRS at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge
Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge
The Institute of Astronomy is the largest of the three astronomy departments in the University of Cambridge, and one of the largest astronomy sites in the UK...
.
Research
Recently his principal research project has been in the history of astronomy, now his academic field. He has completed a large biography of the British cosmologist Sir Fred Hoyle (1915–2001), published in April 2005. His current research centres on the long history of attempts to understand the origin of structure in the universe. His other research interests include science and religion, the history of attempts to measure the velocity of light, the life of Mary SomervilleMary Somerville
Mary Fairfax Somerville was a Scottish science writer and polymath, at a time when women's participation in science was discouraged...
, and the life of Copernicus.
Currently he is collaborating with a colleague at Princeton University Observatory with whom he is writing a major book on our present understanding of the nature of the universe. This book has been accepted by Princeton University Press.
He has also contributed to research on the Cambridge astrophysicist Sir Arthur Eddington (1882–1944), and has an interest in Georges Lemaitre
Georges Lemaître
Monsignor Georges Henri Joseph Édouard Lemaître was a Belgian priest, astronomer and professor of physics at the Catholic University of Louvain. He was the first person to propose the theory of the expansion of the Universe, widely misattributed to Edwin Hubble...
, one of the College's most distinguished former members (1923–24)
Honours
Awards- Fellow, St Edmund's College, CambridgeSt Edmund's College, CambridgeSaint Edmund's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is the second oldest of the four Cambridge colleges oriented to mature students, which only accept students reading for either Masters or Doctorate degrees, or undergraduate degrees if they are aged 21 or older, the...
(1973) - Fifth Champness Lecturer, Worshipful Company of Spectacle MakersWorshipful Company of Spectacle MakersThe Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, UK.The Company was founded by a Royal Charter of Charles I in 1629 AD; it was granted the status of a Livery Company in 1809...
(1975) - 35th Barringer Lecturer, University of ArkansasUniversity of ArkansasThe University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
(March 2009)
Named after him
- AsteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
4027 Mitton4027 Mitton4027 Mitton is a main-belt asteroid discovered on February 21, 1982 by Edward L. G. Bowell at Flagstaff .- External links :*...
(Awarded jointly with Jacqueline Mitton)