William McCrea (astronomer)

Professor
Sir William McCrea
FRS FRSE FRAS
Research Professor of Theoretical Astronomy, University of Sussex
In office
1966–1972
Professor of Mathematics, Royal Holloway College, London
In office
1944–1966
Professor of Mathematics, Queen's University of Belfast
In office
1936–1944
Personal details
Born
William Hunter McCrea

13 December 1904
Dublin, Ireland
Died25 April 1999(1999-04-25) (aged 94)
Lewes, East Sussex, England
OccupationAstronomer, mathematician

Sir William Hunter McCrea (13 December 1904 – 25 April 1999[1][2]) was an English astronomer and mathematician.

Biography

He was born in Dublin in Ireland on 13 December 1904.

His family moved to Kent in 1906 and then to Derbyshire where he attended Chesterfield Grammar School. His father was a school master at Netherthorpe Grammar School in Staveley. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1923 where he studied Mathematics, later gaining a PhD in 1929 under Ralph H. Fowler.

From 1930 he lectured in Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh. During his time in Edinburgh (in 1931) he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker, Sir Charles Galton Darwin, Edward Copson and Charles Glover Barkla. He won the Society's Keith Medal (jointly with Edward Copson) for the period 1939–41.[3]

In 1932 he moved to Imperial College London as a Reader. In 1936 he became Professor of Mathematics and head of the mathematics department at the Queen's University of Belfast.

In the Second World War he was co-opted onto the Admiralty Operational Research Group.

After the war, he joined the mathematics department at Royal Holloway College where he remained a professor for twenty years. The McCrea Building on Royal Holloway's campus is named after him.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1952.

In 1965, McCrea created the astronomy centre of the physics department at the University of Sussex.

McCrea died on 25 April 1999 at Lewes in Sussex.

Family

In 1933 he married Marian Core (d. 1995) and had three children.

Discoveries

In 1928, he studied Albrecht Unsöld's hypothesis, and discovered that three-quarters of the Sun is made of hydrogen, and about one quarter is helium, with 1% being other elements. Previous to this many people thought the Sun consisted mostly of iron. After this, people realised most stars consist of hydrogen.

In 1964 he proposed mass transfer mechanism as an explanation of blue straggler stars.[4]

Awards

McCrea was president of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1961 to 1963 and president of Section A of the British Association for the Advancement of Science from 1965 to 1966.

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1985. He won the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1976.

See also

References

  1. ^ Mestel, L.; Pagel, B. E. J. (2007). "William Hunter McCrea. 13 December 1904 -- 25 April 1999: Elected FRS 1952". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 53: 223. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2007.0005.
  2. ^ Mestel, Leon (30 April 1999). "Obituary: Sir William McCrea – The Independent". London. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  3. ^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X.
  4. ^ McCrea, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 128:147, 1964 doi:10.1093/mnras/128.2.147 (This paper has over 400 citations.); Carney, Latham, and Laird, The Astronomical Journal, 129:466–479, 2005; Perets, and Fabrycky, The Astrophysical Journal, 697:1048–1056, 2009


Read other articles:

Honda CBR1000F

Honda CBR1000FProdusenHondaJuga disebutHurricaneTahun Produksi1987-1999Model berikutnyaHonda CBR1100XXKelasSport touringMesin998 cc (60,9 cu in) 4-silinder, 4-langkah, berpendingin cairan, DOHC, 16-katupBore x Stroke77,0 mm × 53,6 mm (3,0 in × 2,1 in)Kompresi10,5:1Kecepatan Tertinggi248 km/h (154 mph)[1]PengapianCDISistem transmisi6-percepatan constant-meshRangkaKradel tunggal berbahan besiSuspensiDepan: TeleskopikBelakang: Leng...

 

 

Solvent

Substance dissolving a solute resulting in a solution For other uses, see Solvent (disambiguation). Ethyl acetate, nail polish solvent.[1] A solvent (from the Latin solvō, loosen, untie, solve) is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for polar molecules, and the most common solvent used by living things; all the ions and proteins in a cell are dissolved ...

 

 

HMS Hecla (1815)

19th-century British Royal Navy bomb vessel For other ships with the same name, see HMS Hecla. Lithograph depicting HMS Hecla and HMS Fury, by Arthur Parsey, 1823 History United Kingdom NameHMS Hecla NamesakeHekla Ordered5 June 1813 BuilderBarkworth & Hawkes, North Barton, Hull Laid downJuly 1813 Launched22 July 1815 Honours andawardsNaval General Service Medal with clasp Algiers[1] FateSold, 13 April 1831 United Kingdom NameHecla Acquired1831 by purchase FateWrecked 23 June ...

List of shipwrecks in 2014

The list of shipwrecks in 2014 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during 2014. This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources. table of contents ← 2013 2014 2015 → Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec References January 1 January List of shipwrecks: 1 January 2014 Ship State Description Peace  Cambodia The cargo ship issued ...

 

 

Béatrice Dalle

French actress Béatrice DalleDalle in 1999BornBéatrice Cabarrou (1964-12-19) 19 December 1964 (age 59)Brest, Brittany, FranceOccupationActressYears active1986–presentSpouses Jean-François Dalle ​ ​(m. 1985; div. 1988)​ Guénaël Meziani ​ ​(m. 2005; div. 2014)​ Partner(s)Alessandro Gassmann(19??–1998) Béatrice Dalle (born 19 December 1964) is a French actress and model. She has ap...

 

 

Hockey su ghiaccio ai XXIV Giochi olimpici invernali - Torneo femminile

Voce principale: Hockey su ghiaccio ai XXIV Giochi olimpici invernali.   Torneo femminilePechino 2022 Informazioni generaliLuogoStadio coperto nazionale di PechinoWukesong Indoor Stadium Periodo3-17 febbraio 2022 Partecipanti{{{partecipanti}}} da 10 nazioni Edizione precedente e successiva Pyeongchang 2018 Milano Cortina 2026 Hockey su ghiaccio ai Giochi di Pechino 2022 Qualificazioni maschile   femminile Torneo maschile   femminile Squadre maschile   femminile Il tor...

Ираклеониты

Ираклеониты — ученики гностика Ираклеона (II век). Упоминаются как особая секта Епифанием и Августином; при крещении и миропомазании они соблюдали обряд помазания елеем и при этом произносили воззвания на арамейском языке, которые должны были освободить душу от власт�...

 

 

Henri Cornet

Questa voce sull'argomento ciclisti francesi è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. Henri Cornet Henri Cornet, vincitore del Tour de France 1904 Nazionalità  Francia Ciclismo Specialità Strada Termine carriera 1912 CarrieraSquadre di club 1904-1905Cycles J.C.1906Individuale1907-1908Griffon1909Nil-Supra1910-1912Le Globe   Modifica dati su Wikidata · Manuale Henry Cornet, nato ...

 

 

List of Tampa Bay Lightning records

Steven Stamkos is the Lightning's career regular season leader in goals, points, and games played. He is also the franchise's active leader in assists. This is a list of franchise records for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (updated though the 2023–24 NHL season). Career regular season leaders Skaters Games played[1] # Player GP Seasons 1 Steven Stamkos 1,082 2008–present 2 Victor Hedman 1,052 2009–present 3 Vincent Lecavalier 1,037 1998–2013 4 Martin St...

Angelo Faggi

Angelo Faggi Deputato del Regno d'ItaliaDurata mandato11 giugno 1921 –25 gennaio 1924 LegislaturaXXVI Sito istituzionale Sindaco di PiacenzaDurata mandatogiugno 1956 –6 gennaio 1957 PredecessoreGiacomo Chiapponi SuccessoreGiancarlo Montani Dati generaliPartito politicoPartito Socialista ItalianoPartito Socialista Democratico Italiano ProfessioneSindacalista Angelo Virgilio Faggi (Brozzi, 27 febbraio 1885 – Piacenza, 6 gennaio 1957) è stato un sindacalis...

 

 

ヨハネス12世 (ローマ教皇)

ヨハネス12世 第130代 ローマ教皇 教皇就任 955年12月16日教皇離任 964年5月14日先代 アガペトゥス2世次代 レオ8世個人情報出生 937年スポレート公国（中部イタリア）スポレート死去 964年5月14日 教皇領、ローマ原国籍 スポレート公国親 父アルベリーコ2世（スポレート公）、母アルダその他のヨハネステンプレートを表示 ヨハネス12世（Ioannes XII、937年 - 964年5月14日）は、ロ...

 

 

Richard L. Hills

English historian and clergyman (1936–2019) This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (May 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article possibly contains original research. Please im...

Munisipalitas Cerkno

Munisipalitas Cerkno Občina CerknoMunisipalitasNegara SloveniaIbu kotaCerknoLuas • Total131,6 km2 (508 sq mi)Populasi (2013) • Total4.786 • Kepadatan3,6/km2 (9,4/sq mi)Kode ISO 3166-2SI-014 Munisipalitas Cerkno (dibaca [ˈtseːɾknɔ]; bahasa Slovenia: Občina Cerkno) adalah sebuah munisipalitas di kawasan Littoral, Slovenia.[1] Kursi munisipalitas tersebut adalah kota Cerkno. Munisipalitas tersebut memiliki 5...

 

 

Wulan Guritno

Wulan GuritnoLahirSri Wulandari Lorraine Joko Guritno[1]14 April 1981 (umur 43)London, InggrisPekerjaanPemeranmodelpresenterpengusahaproduserTahun aktif1995—sekarang[2]Suami/istri Attila Arius Syach ​ ​(m. 1998; c. 2002)​ Adilla Dimitri Hardjanto ​ ​(m. 2009; c. 2021)​ Anak3, termasuk Shalom RazadeKeluarga Ario Bayu (sepupu) Alshad Ahmad (ipar) Tarra Budiman (ipar) Sri ...

 

 

隼人

この項目では、古代の隼人について説明しています。その他の用法については「隼人 (曖昧さ回避)」をご覧ください。 隼人の楯 隼人（はやと）とは、古代日本において、阿多・大隅（現在の鹿児島県本土部分）に居住したとされる人々[1]。 概要 隼人駅前に展示された隼人の盾 日本神話には海幸彦が隼人の阿多君の始祖であり、祖神火照命の末裔であるとされる...

Vokrug sveta

Russian geographic magazine Vokrug svetaAn illustration from the 1861 issue of Vokrug sveta.CategoriesGeographyFounded1861CountryRussiaBased inSaint PetersburgLanguageRussianWebsitehttp://www.vokrugsveta.ru/ Vokrug sveta (Russian: Вокруг света, literally: Around the World) is a Russian geographic magazine. It is the longest running magazine in the Russian language. The first issue was printed in Saint Petersburg, in December 1861, almost thirty years before the establishment of the...

 

 

Carl Boberg

Swedish poet, preacher and government official Carl Gustav BobergBorn(1859-08-16)16 August 1859Mönsterås parish, Kalmar County, SwedenDied7 January 1940(1940-01-07) (aged 80)Kalmar Cathedral parish, Kalmar County, SwedenOccupation(s)Poet, preacher, writer, member of the RiksdagSignature Carl Gustav Boberg (16 August 1859 – 7 January 1940) was a Swedish poet, preacher, government official and member of parliament, best known for writing the Swedish-language poem O Store Gud ('O Great ...

 

 

Puisi Para Saudara

Sebuah pahatan Romawi dari Sappho, berdasarkan pada model Yunani Klasik. Inskripsinya terbaca Σαπφω Ερεσια, atau Sappho dari Eresos. Puisi Saudara-saudara atau Lagu Saudara-saudara adalah sebuah puisi karya penyiat Yunani arkaik Sappho. Hilang sejak zaman kuno, karya tersebut ditemukan kembali pada 2014 pada sebuah papirus] dari sebuah koleksi pribadi milik Dirk Obbink, kepala Proyek Papirus Oksirinkus dari Universitas Oxford. Kebanyakan puisinya masih ada, meskipun bagian permulaa...

ICI

Logo Het voormalige hoofdkantoor van ICI in Londen Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) is een van oorsprong Brits bedrijf en was een van de grootste chemische concerns ter wereld. Het heeft bestaan van 1926 tot 2007, toen het werd overgenomen door AkzoNobel. Oprichting In 1926 werd op een schip, de RMS Aquitania, een overeenkomst gesloten tussen vier Britse chemieconcerns, en wel:[1] Brunner, Mond & Co, een producent van alkali, De Britse tak van Nobel Industries, United Alkali Com...

 

 

Ratko Rudić

Ratko RudićRatko Rudić nel 2012Nazionalità Jugoslavia Croazia (dal 1991) Altezza188 cm Peso87 kg Pallanuoto Ruoloex Allenatore (ex giocatore) Termine carriera1981 (come giocatore) 2020 (come allenatore) Hall of fameInternational Swimming Hall of Fame (2007) CarrieraSquadre di club1 1963-1971 Jadran Spalato1971-1981 Partizan Nazionale 1968-1980 Jugoslavia297 Carriera da allenatore 1981-1984 Jugoslavia giovanili 1984-1989 Jugoslavia1991-2000 Italia2001-2005 Stati Uni...