Malcolm Longair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malcolm Longair
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Malcolm Longair in 2013 at the James Webb Space Telescope Advisory Committee (JSTAC), held at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore. Portrait by Mark McCaughrean of the European Space Agency
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| Born |
Malcolm Sim Longair
18 May 1941 Dundee, Scotland
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| Education | Morgan Academy |
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| Spouse(s) |
Deborah Howard
(m. 1975) |
| Awards | Britannica Award (1986) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Natural philosophy |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | The evolution of radio galaxies (1967) |
| Doctoral advisor | Martin Ryle |
| Doctoral students |
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Malcolm Sim Longair, born on May 18, 1941, is a famous British physicist. He is known for studying space and the universe. For many years, he was a special professor at the University of Cambridge. He also helps edit important books about famous scientists.
Contents
Malcolm Longair's School Days
Malcolm Longair was born in Scotland in 1941. He went to school at Morgan Academy in Dundee. He studied Electronic Physics at Queen's College, Dundee. This college later became the University of Dundee.
In 1963, he finished his first degree. After that, he went to the University of Cambridge. There, he studied radio astronomy, which is about listening to signals from space. He earned his PhD in 1967. A PhD is a very high degree that shows you are an expert in your field. His supervisor, Martin Ryle, was a Nobel Prize winner.
His Amazing Career and Research
After finishing his studies, Malcolm Longair traveled to Russia. He worked with important scientists there. He also visited many famous universities around the world. These included the California Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
From 1980 to 1990, he had a very special job. He was the Astronomer Royal for Scotland. This meant he was the main astronomy expert for Scotland. He also led the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh.
Later, he became the head of the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge. This is a very famous place where many important discoveries in physics have been made.
What He Studied
Malcolm Longair's main work is in high-energy astrophysics. This means he studies very powerful events in space. He also works on astrophysical cosmology. This is the study of how the universe began and how it has changed over time.
He has written many books and articles about his research. One of his well-known books is Theoretical Concepts in Physics. Besides science, he enjoys music, hiking in the mountains, art, and golf.
He also helped many students get their PhDs. Some of his students became famous astronomers too.
Awards and Special Honours
Malcolm Longair has received many awards for his work. Here are some of them:
- In 1986, he won the first Britannica Award. This award is for sharing knowledge and making life better.
- In 1990, he gave the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. These are famous science talks for young people. His talks were about 'The Origins of Our Universe'.
- He was the chairman of the Gemini Observatory Board in 1994 and 1995. This project built huge telescopes to explore space.
- From 1996 to 1998, he was the President of the Royal Astronomical Society. This is a big honor for astronomers in the UK.
- In 2000, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is a special award from the Queen.
- In 2004, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This means he is one of the top scientists in the UK.
His Family Life
Since 1975, Malcolm Longair has been married to Deborah Howard. She is an expert in the history of buildings. They have two children together.
Selected Publications
Malcolm Longair has written many books and scientific papers. His books help explain complex physics ideas.
