哈罗德·史宾塞·琼斯1890—1960

Sir Harold Spencer Jones KBE FRS FRSE PRAS (29 March 1890 – 3 November 1960) was an English astronomer. He became renowned as an authority on positional astronomy and served as the tenth Astronomer Royal for 23 years. Although born "Jones", his surname became "Spencer Jones".

Early life

Harold Spencer Jones was born in Kensington, London, on 29 March 1890. His father, Henry Charles Jones, was an accountant and his mother, Sarah Ryland, had earlier worked as a school teacher. He was educated at Latymer Upper School, in Hammersmith, West London, from where he obtained a scholarship to Jesus College, Cambridge. He graduated there in 1911, and was awarded a postgraduate studentship. He subsequently became a Fellow of the college.

Chief Assistant at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, 1913–1923

In 1913 he was appointed Chief Assistant at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, filling a vacancy created by the departure of Arthur Eddington to become Plumian Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge. In December 1913 Spencer Jones was elected to the Royal Astronomical Society.

Spencer Jones's astronomical work extended over a range of subjects. He specialised in positional astronomy, particularly the motion and orientation of the Earth in space. He also studied the motions of stars. He travelled to Minsk in Eastern Europe in 1914 to observe a total solar eclipse, departing during peacetime but returning after the start of the First World War.

His Majesty's Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope, 1923–1933

The astronomer in charge of the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope, Sydney Hough, died in 1923, and Spencer Jones was appointed Hough's successor as His Majesty's Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope. Spencer Jones and his wife sailed to South Africa, arriving in December 1923.

During his nine years at the observatory, Spencer Jones set about renewing its administration and scientific work. He made efforts to improve working conditions and morale at the observatory. He led efforts by the staff to measure the properties of large numbers of stars from photographic plates exposed on the observatory's telescopes.

Astronomer Royal, 1933–1955

In 1933 Spencer Jones succeeded Sir Frank Dyson as Astronomer Royal, and consequently returned to Britain to take charge of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.

Spencer Jones took up the administrative challenges, including recruiting new staff and installing new instruments. He upgraded the time service provided by the observatory. He took on overall responsibility for the Nautical Almanac Office. He obtained government agreement to move the observatory from its historic site in Greenwich, which was by then significantly affected by the light and pollution of London, to a darker location away from the city.

Personal life

Sir Harold Spencer Jones had two sons, John (whose early career was spent as a jet pilot with the Royal Air Force) and David, with his wife Lady Gladys Mary Owens Spencer Jones.

Retirement and later life

Spencer Jones retired as Astronomer Royal at the end of 1955. He continued to contribute actively to a number of scientific bodies. He died on 3 November 1960 aged 70. His cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Opinions about space travel

Spencer Jones's successor as Astronomer Royal was Richard Woolley, who on taking up the position in 1956 responded to a question from the press and was misquoted as saying "Space travel is utter bilge". Similarly, it is often stated that Spencer Jones himself had a strong disbelief in the practicalities of space flight, and that he famously said "space travel is bunk" only two weeks before the Sputnik 1 launch in October 1957. Despite recent suggestions that he did not actually make such a statement,

the quote was referenced in 1959 (during his lifetime) in the 17 September issue of New Scientist magazine (page 476).

Honours and awards

Awards

Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1943)

Royal Medal (1943)

Prix Jules Janssen, the highest award of the Société astronomique de France, the French astronomical society (1945)

• Bruce Medal (1949)
• Gold medal of the British Horological Institute (1946)
• Lorimer Medal of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh (1953)

Prize Medal of the Stoke-on-Trent Association of Engineers https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-207057

Honors

elected International Member of the American Philosophical Society (1942)

elected International Member of the United States National Academy of Sciences (1943)