Milton La Salle Humason | |
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| Born | (1891-08-19)August 19, 1891 Dodge Center, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 1972(1972-06-18) (aged 80) Mendocino, California, U.S. |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
| Institutions | Mount Wilson Observatory |
Milton La Salle Humason (August 19, 1891 – June 18, 1972) was an Americanastronomer. He worked withEdwin Hubble to measure theredshift ofnebulas in the early 20th century, providing evidence of theexpansion of the universe.[1]
Milton Humason was born inDodge Center,Minnesota.
Humason dropped out of school and had no formal education past the age of 14. Because he loved the mountains, andMount Wilson in particular, he became a "mule skinner" taking materials and equipment up the mountain whileMount Wilson Observatory was being built. In 1917, after a short stint on a ranch in La Verne, he became ajanitor at the observatory. Out of sheer interest, he volunteered to be a night assistant at the observatory. His technical skill and quiet manner made him a favorite on the mountain. Recognizing his talent, in 1919,George Ellery Hale made him a Mt. Wilson staff member. This was unprecedented, as Humason did not have a Ph.D., or even a high school diploma. He soon proved Hale's judgment correct, as he made several key observational discoveries. He became known as a meticulous observer, obtaining photographs and difficultspectrograms of faint galaxies. His observations played a major role in the development ofphysical cosmology, including assistingEdwin Hubble in formulatingHubble's law. In 1950 he earned a D.Sc. fromLund University.[2] He retired in 1957.
He discovered CometC/1961 R1 (Humason), notable for its largeperihelion distance.
Due to merest chance, Humason missed discoveringPluto. Eleven years beforeClyde Tombaugh, Humason took a set of four photographs in which the image of Pluto appeared.[3] There is persistent speculation that he missed discovering the dwarf planet because it fell on a defect in the photographic plate. This is unlikely, however, given that it appeared in four separate photographs over three different nights.
Much of the work Humason performed was actually credited to Hubble, the two of whom worked together for many years.[citation needed]
He died inMendocino, California.
In the popular documentaryCosmos: A Personal Voyage by astronomerCarl Sagan, Humason's life and work are portrayed on screen in episode 10:The Edge of Forever.
Humason was also the inspiration for theBig Dipper song "Humason," which appeared on the Boston group's 1987 albumHeavens.
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