Astronomer By Chance (Oxford Letters and Memoirs) [Paperback]

B Lovell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Oxford Letters and Memoirs | Publication Date: August 6, 1992

A chance event in 1939 changed the young Bernard Lovell's life and led him to become one of the pioneers of radio astronomy. From an idea that radar used for detecting enemy aircraft might have larger potential, he developed a telescope capable of investigating the distant regions of the universe. His famous telescopes at Jodrell Bank have played a critical role in the discovery of unknown objects in the universe and led to questions that lie at the heart of contemporary astronomy and astrophysics. Bernard Lovell's story is one of chance, tenacity and infinite resourcefulness in the face of technical and bureaucratic difficulties. To read his account is also to see how the image and reality of science have changed in his lifetime, partly through his own work.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Lovell writes in highly readable prose about the important bench marks of his life--his fascination with electric arcs, which enticed him into a career in physics; his work for the British war effort, including the creation of night radar; and his post-World War II career in the new field of radio astronomy, culminating in the invention of the powerful Jodrell Bank telescopes, the first of which he built with his own hands. In the last chapter, Lovell reconciles his religious beliefs with scientific theory. More reflective and complete than his Voice of the Universe: Building the Jodrell Bank Telescope (Praeger, 1987), this is recommended for astronomy and science biography collections.
- Doris Lynch, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks (August 6, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192829491
• ISBN-13: 978-0192829498
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,201,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Radar, Radar Astronomy, and Radio Astronomy - Fascinating Account, July 16, 2006

By 

Michael Wischmeyer (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Astronomer by Chance (Sloan Foundation Science Series) (Hardcover)

Astronomer By Chance is an especially apt title. Living in the small, isolated village of Oldland Common midway between Bath and Bristol, the twin pursuits of the young Bernard Lovell, playing the church organ and playing cricket, gave no indication of the key role he would play in the development of radar, radar astronomy, and radio astronomy.

Lovell briefly traces his interest in physics to his hours tinkering with primitive radios as a boy, a visiting Methodist preacher's comments on Einstein's theory of relativity, and perhaps, most importantly, an incidental visit to a physics lab at University of Bristol. His early years in physics - research in electrical conductivity of thin layers of alkali metals and the measurement of energies of cosmic ray particles in a cloud chamber - were abruptly terminated in late July, 1939.

Lovell was immediately assigned to secret radar research as bombing attacks by Germany were considered inevitable. Lovell's account of the war years is riveting. Radar capability was primitive, inadequate for airborne use in fighters, and useless for RAF bombers as not even major cities could be identified at night by radar. The young Lovell was soon managing the H2S project, the centimeter navigational and blind bombing radar system developed for night bombers of the RAF. With the stakes incalculable, research and development projects were transformed into operational capability in impossibly short time frames. This behind the scenes effort was not without risk as the Germans repeatedly targeted radar stations and R&D sites.

In the years immediately after the war, everything was in short supply and rationing continued. Nonetheless, Lovell was able to revitalize a project to conduct radio observations of meteor showers by acquiring surplus radio and radar equipment through his war connections. With spade and shovel Lovell and colleagues installed radio antennas and receivers on a University of Manchester property used for botanical studies. This inauspicious beginning eventually resulted in design and construction of one of the world's foremost radio telescopes.

The long, costly, controversial construction of the Jodrell Bank radio telescope (plus discussions of various research projects) comprise the bulk of Bernard Lovell's fascinating biography. The Jodrell Bank project far exceeded original cost estimates. Were it not for the tenacity of Lovell and a good deal of serendipity, Jodrell Bank would never have been completed.

Astronomer By Chance will appeal to a wide audience. Bernard Lovell's story is one of drama and suspense, and additionally, it offers a fascinating look at the development of modern science from the war years through the 1980s. The technical discussions target the layman; the more technical reader will find these sections more interesting for their historical perspective. I quite enjoyed Lovell's biography and I highly recommend it.