James Roger Prior Angel (born February 7, 1941) is a British-Americanastrophysicist known for his contributions toastronomy and the design and fabrication of largeoptics fortelescopes,solar power and other applications. He developed thespin casting and stressed lap polishing techniques used at theUniversity of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab to produce mirrors for some of thelargest optical telescopes in the world.^[1][2] He is a Regents' Professor of Astronomy and Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona.^[3]

Angel graduated fromSt Peter's College, Oxford, with a BA, in 1963, fromCalifornia Institute of Technology, with an MS, in 1966, and from theUniversity of Oxford, with a D Phil, in 1967.^[1] While at Oxford'sClarendon Laboratory he built an early computer to allow for the first direct measurement an atom'squadrupole moment.^[3][4]

After receiving his doctorate, Angel moved toNew York City to take a position in theColumbia University Physics Department. He began research in astrophysics and astronomical instrumentation, buildingsounding rocketX-ray spectroscopes and ground-based telescopepolarimeters for the observation ofdegenerate stars and other objects.^[5][6] In 1970, he was among the first to observewhite dwarf magnetism.^[7][8]

Angel moved toTucson, Arizona in 1973 to join the University of ArizonaDepartment of Astronomy.^[1] In 1977, he proposed usingfused-silicaoptical fiber to separate and obtain the spectra of multiple sources of light from a single telescope image, the now widely-used technique ofmulti-object spectroscopy.^[9] In 1980, John Hill and Angel were the first to demonstrate the technique, measuring theredshifts of 26 individual galaxies based on a single exposure.^[10]

In 1979, he proposed thelobster-eye optics design for X-ray astronomy.^[11][12] The design was first demonstrated on a NASAsounding rocket in 2013 and used for theEinstein Probe X-rayspace telescope launched in 2024.^[13]

In 2006, Angel proposed aspace sunshade composed of trillions ofrefractive disks instable orbit between the Earth and the Sun where they would deflect enough solar radiation to counteractglobal warming. He estimated that the project could be developed over 25 years for less than 0.5% of world gross domestic product over that time.^[14][15]

Angel received aSloan Research Fellowship for physics in 1970. In 1976 he was awarded theAmerican Astonomical Society'sNewton Lacy Pierce Prize.^[5] He received aMacArthur Fellowship in 1996.^[16] In 2010 he shared theKavli Prize for Astrophysics withJerry Nelson andRaymond Wilson for innovations in the field of telescope design.^[17]

Angel is an Honorary Fellow ofSt. Peter's College, Oxford and a fellow of theRoyal Astronomical Society. In 1990 he was made a fellow of both theRoyal Society and theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences.^[18][19] In 2000 he became a member of theNational Academy of Sciences.

• 1941 births
• Living people
• American astronomers
• Alumni of St Peter's College, Oxford
• California Institute of Technology alumni
• Columbia University faculty
• University of Arizona faculty
• MacArthur Fellows
• Honorary Fellows of St Peter's College, Oxford
• British fellows of the Royal Society
• Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Kavli Prize laureates in Astrophysics
• Recipients of the Newton Lacy Pierce Prize in Astronomy
• American fellows of the Royal Society

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