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THACKERAY, A David

Professional Astronomer

Photo Gallery: Thackeray

Index:

Summary; History; Instruments; Source; Links

In brief :
Famous for:
Director of Radcliffe Observatory 1951 - 1974.

Summary:
Specialised  in stellar spectroscopy. Did photometry on magnitude stars.
Historical background :
History:
  Thackeray joined the Radcliffe Observatory in 1948 as Chief assistant. He worked on photographic photometry of elliptical galaxies and published a photographic catalogue of planetary nebulae in collaboration with David Evans. [Obituary – MNASSA, p.6]
  In 1951 Thackeray became director of Radcliffe Observatory until 1974.

Career:
Graduated  from Cambridge.
Post graduate works at Mount Wilson in California.
Return to Cambridge.
1948 - 1951: Chief Assistant at Radcliffe.
1951 - 1974: Director of Radcliffe.
1974 April: Retired.


Personal:
He was good friends with Cyril Jackson (colleague from Yale Observatory) and on his free time observed at Jackson's private observatory named Hilltop. [Communication with Cyril Jackson's son Paul via Magda Streicher 4/2005]

Instruments:

Link to the Telescope Manufacturers.

Sources:

Link to the Main Bibliography Section and more information about Sources.
Remaining Artifacts:

Bibliography:
Moore, P. & Collins, P., Astronomy in Southern Africa, pp.118 - 119.    (General Source)
Oral Sources: Streicher, M.; Personal verbal communication with various persons.
Smits, P., A Brief History of Astronomy in Southern Africa. (Unpublished)
Evans Obituary: MNASSA Vol. 64, Nos 1 & 2, February 2005.

By Thackeray
Photographic Catalogue of planetary nebulae with David Evans.
Links:

Related Internal Links:
Radcliffe Observatory.

 
Interesting Links:
Link to Objects Lost and / or Found.
Link to a short History of Astronomy in Southern Africa.
Link to a Time Line to see how Events on this page relates to the bigger time dimension.
Link to view the Achievements and other Interesting Aspects of Southern African Astronomers.
Link to the Telescope Manufacturers.
Link to the Main Bibliography Section and more information about Sources and the Archive.

Director Historical Section: Chris de Coning - siriusa@absamail.co.za

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