| Horace W. Babcock | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 13, 1912 |
| Died | August 29, 2003 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | United States |
| Fields | astronomy |
| Known for | adaptive optics Babcock Model |
| Notable awards | Henry Draper Medal (1957) |
Horace Welcome Babcock (September 13, 1912 – August 29, 2003) was an American astronomer. He was the son of Harold D. Babcock.
He invented and built a number of astronomical instruments, and in 1953 was the first to propose the idea of adaptive optics. He specialized in spectroscopy and the study of magnetic fields of stars. He proposed the Babcock Model, a theory for the magnetism of sunspots.
During World War II, he was engaged in radiation work at MIT and Caltech. After the war he began a productive collaboration with his father.
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Awards
Named after him