Northern Star: J.S. Plaskett

R. Peter Broughton

Published by University of Toronto Press 2018

Northern Star

J.S. Plaskett

R. Peter Broughton
Preface by: James E. Hesser

https://doi.org/10.3138/9781442630185

Overview
Contents

About this book

Northern Star explores Plaskett’s unorthodox and fascinating life from his rural roots near Woodstock through his days as a technician at the University of Toronto to his initiation in astronomy at the Dominion Observatory in Ottawa.

Author / Editor information

Broughton R. Peter :

R. Peter Broughton was president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada from 1992 to 1994. His service and extensive writing on the history of astronomy led the International Astronomical Union to name a minor planet in his honour.

Hesser James E. :

James E. Hesser authored or coauthored more than 250 scientific publications and was a pioneer in using the Hubble Space Telescope to establish the ages of the outermost star clusters related with the Milky Way Galaxy. He was the director of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, British Columbia, serving from 1986 to 2013.

Reviews

Robert W. Smith, University of Alberta:

"The book’s great strength is the range and depth of Broughton’s research. So thorough it is that it is hard to imagine anyone unearthing any more significant information about Plaskett. Broughton fashions his judgements carefully; the evidence he presents makes a compelling case for Plaskett as a skilled observational astronomer and highly talented institution builder."

Dr. Clifford J. Cunningham, University of Southern Queensland:

"The fact that Broughton was able to write an engaging narrative and produce a most valuable and profusely illustrated book in the history of twentieth century astronomy is a testament to his skills in this labour of love biography."

John Hutchings:

"This is a book that needed to be written. Its appeal may fall between the general public readership and that of active astronomers, but many passages bridge that gap, and it is evident that nothing has been omitted for those who crave detail and further reference. Northern Star will stand as a complete and thorough record of a remarkable Canadian, a definitive account of what he gave to the country and to the world of science."

David Stickland:

"Plaskett’s legacy is covered nicely in this well-produced volume, and that, of course, includes his son, Harry, who became the Savilian Professor at Oxford. The first of the appendices lists his many publications; copious Notes follow – 90 pages of them – and a comprehensive Index concludes the book. A number of monochrome photos help bring the story to life."

R.A. Rosenfeld, Archivist, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada:

"The publication of Peter Broughton's Northern Star: J.S. Plaskett, is a watershed event for the history of Canadian astronomy. Plaskett, founder of the still-vital Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, was the first Canadian astrophysicist whose quality and quantity of research and professional connections ensured his ability to walk on the world stage of the discipline. Broughton's scholarship is thorough, and he presents it in an attractively readable form. Of particular value is the setting of Plaskett's career and work firmly in their contemporary context, the author's mature evaluations of Plaskett's scientific achievements, and the reproduction of many rare and previously unpublished archival photographs evoking the research and social contexts of the first formative period of astrophysics in Canada."

Alan H. Batten, F.R.S.C:

"John Stanley Plaskett was a prominent member of what can be regarded as the first generation of Canadian professional scientists and firmly established Canada as a major partner in international astronomical research. In this thoroughly researched biography, Peter Broughton has given us a scholarly and readable account of Plaskett’s life and work."

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Foreword Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xix
Abbreviations Publicly Available Download PDF	xxi
Part One: Preparing the Ground
1. Rural Roots, to 1890 5 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	5
2. Toronto, 1890–1903 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	24
3. Ottawa Advancement, 1903–1907 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	51
Part Two: Budding Scientist
4. The Sun and the Stars, 1906–1911 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	89
5. The Dream of an Upright Man, 1911–1913 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	115
6. Transition, 1913–1917 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	142
Part Three: Career in Full Flower
7. This Is the House That Jack Built, 1917–1921 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	179
8. Challenges and Rewards, 1921–1923 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	213
9. The Farthest Stars, 1924–1926 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	240
10. Beyond the Stars, 1927–1930 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	266
11. The Big Picture, 1930–1934 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	297
Part Four: The Fruits of His Labour
12. Retirement, 1934–1941 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	333
13. Regeneration, 1942- Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	363
Appendices Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	381
Appendix A: Published Papers by J.S. Plaskett Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	383
Appendix B: Talks Given by J.S. Plaskett Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	399
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	415
Selected Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	509
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	513

Language: English
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Audience: College/higher education;Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 600
Illustrations
- Other: 111 b&w illustrations

eBook

Published: January 16, 2018
ISBN: 9781442630185