| Sir Harold Spencer Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 March 1890 Kensington, London, England |
| Died | 3 November 1960 (aged 70) |
| Known for | Astronomer Royal Quote: "Space travel is bunk" |
Sir Harold Spencer Jones KBE FRS[1] (29 March 1890 Kensington, London – 3 November 1960)[2] was an English astronomer. Although born "Jones", his surname became "Spencer Jones".[3]
In 1913 he became Chief Assistant at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. In 1933 he became Astronomer Royal. He was president of the International Astronomical Union from 1945 to 1948.
He determined the solar parallax from observations of 433 Eros during its close approach in 1930–1931.
Spencer Jones's successor as Astronomer Royal was Richard Woolley, who on taking up the position in 1956 responded to a question from the press by saying "Space travel is utter bilge".[4] Similarly, it is often stated that Spencer Jones himself had a strong disbelief in the practicalities of space flight, and that he famously said "space travel is bunk" only two weeks before the Sputnik launch in October 1957. However, there is no evidence that he did in fact say this, then or at any other time..
Awards
Named after him
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