Reynold Kenneth Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1886-10-04)October 4, 1886 |
| Died | February 27, 1973(1973-02-27) (aged 86) |
| Resting place | Richmond Hill Presbyterian Cemetery[2] |
| Education | Ph.D. in astronomy (1912) |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto University of California, Berkeley |
| Known for | Binary stars,astrometric studies |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Marjorie Jean Young (b. 1913) John Young (b. 1915) |
| Awards | Gold Medal, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (1909)[1] |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Dominion Observatory Dominion Astrophysical Observatory David Dunlap Observatory |
| Thesis | Polarization of the Light in the Solar Corona (1912) |
| Doctoral advisor | William Wallace Campbell |
Reynold Kenneth Young (October 4, 1886 – February 27, 1973) was a Canadian astronomer. He served as first director of theDavid Dunlap Observatory from 1935 until 1946.
Young was born on October 4, 1886, in the town ofBinbrook, Ontario, the son of Robert Young and Jean Bell. He studied at the Hamilton Collegiate Institute[1] (the city ofHamilton's first high school),[3] then in 1905 he matriculated to theUniversity of Toronto. In 1909 he graduated with a B. A. degree in astronomy,[2] and was awarded a gold medal by theRoyal Astronomical Society of Canada for first class honors.[1]
With a fellowship for graduate study at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, Young spent three years as aFellow at theLick Observatory.[4][2] There he met his future wife, Wilhelmina Ellen Aitken, a fellow astronomer and the daughter of the observatory director,Robert G. Aitken.[2] Young collaborated with Wilhelmina on a study of theorbital elements of the cometC/1911 O1 in 1911.[5] In 1912, under his advisorWilliam Wallace Campbell, Young was awarded a doctorate in astronomy from theUniversity of California, Berkeley with a thesis titled,Polarization of the light in the solar corona.[6] On June 17, 1912, Young was married to Wilhelmina. The couple would have two children before their marriage ended shortly after August 1917.[7]
After spending an unhappy year teaching at theUniversity of Kansas[7] physics department, he became a researcher at theDominion Observatory in 1913. There he published the orbital solutions for ninespectroscopic binaries and performedradial velocity studies of various stars.[2] During 1915, Young developedstar charts that usedgnomonic projection, which allowed observers to accurately plot the straight line path of ameteor trail.[8][9]
Following a productive three years, in August 1917 he joined the staff ofJohn S. Plaskett as an astronomer at the recently foundedDominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO).[7] This was the site of a newly constructed 72-inch (180 cm)aperturetelescope, then the second largest in the world.[2] Much of Young's work at the DAO was performing measurements ofstellar parallax in collaboration withWilliam E. Harper.[1] Over 1,100 parallax determinations were made.[4][10] Young used the large instrument to extend the nation's program of stellar spectroscopy to fainter stars of magnitude six or lower.[2]
Young joinedClarence A. Chant on an expedition to observe thesolar eclipse of September 21, 1922 fromWallal,Western Australia. Among their instruments was a camera intended to capture the deflection of starlight by the Sun's gravity. The results were "in harmony" with the predictions ofAlbert Einstein's theory ofgeneral relativity.[11][12] Young joined Chant at the astronomy department of the University of Toronto in 1924 as an associate professor.[13][4] During 1926–1928, he designed and constructed the mechanical and optical components for a 19-inch (48 cm) telescope, to be used by the university.[2][14]
Chant retired immediately following the opening ceremony of theDavid Dunlap Observatory on May 31, 1935, leaving Young to become the observatory's first director.[13] Young began a four-year study of stellarradial velocities,[15][16] while simultaneously assembling aphotographic archive.[13] He served as chair of the University of Toronto astronomy department from 1935 to 1946.[17] In 1936, he was married to Amy Gertrude Graham, a mother of four children from a prior marriage.[2] Starting in 1940, much of the observatory staff left to serve in Canada's military effort duringWorld War 2.[18] However, due to Young's efforts, the observatory remained in operation throughout the war. Following the conflict, Young retired as Professor Emeritus on January 1, 1946.[2]
Until 1964, Young lived inRichmond Hill with his wife, then the couple moved toCobourg. His wife died on February 27, 1973. The following year, Young moved toPeterborough to be near his step-children. He died December 24, 1977.[2] His daughterMarjorie J. Vold née Young became an expert incolloid chemistry. She was named theLos Angeles Times woman of the year in 1966, and was awarded theGarvan-Olin Medal from theAmerican Chemical Society in 1967.[19]