Name Richard Tousey | Role Astronomer | |
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Died April 15, 1997, Cheverly, Maryland, United States Education Harvard University, Tufts University Awards Henry Draper Medal, Frederic Ives Medal | ||
Richard Tousey (May 18, 1908 – April 15, 1997) was an American astronomer. He was a pioneer in the observation of the sun from space and took the first photographs of the sun's ultraviolet spectrum.
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Early life and education
Richard Tousey was born May 18, 1908 in Somerville, Massachusetts to Coleman and Adella Hill Tousey. He received a bachelor's degree from Tufts University (1928), then MA (1929) and Ph.D.(1933) in physics from Harvard University. His dissertation related to measuring optical properties of fluorite at 1216 angstroms was completed under Theodore Lyman.
Career and research
Tousey taught and conducted research at Harvard from 1933-1936, then Tufts until 1941. Upon invitation by E.O. Hulburt, Tousey joined the Naval Research Laboratory where his initial work focused on night vision. Using captured V-2 rockets made available for research at White Sands Missile Range, he was able to measure the first ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of the sun.
Personal life
He married Ruth Lowe in 1932 and together they had one daughter, Joanna. The family shared an interest in music and collected musical instruments. Tousey died of pneumonia on April 15, 1997 at Prince Georges Hospital Center in Maryland.