Northern Star: J.S. Plaskett

Description

John Stanley Plaskett was Canada's pre-eminent astronomer in the first half of the twentieth century. His legacy lives on in the observatory he founded in Victoria, British Columbia, and the reputation he built for Canada as a nation making vital contributions to basic science. Plaskett's pioneering work with the most massive stars and his definitive determination of the rotation of the Milky Way Galaxy earned him international recognition of the highest order. Northern Star explores Plaskett's unorthodox and fascinating life from his rural roots near Woodstock, Ontario through his days as a technician at the University of Toronto to his initiation in astronomy at the Dominion Observatory in Ottawa. His greatest achievements followed after he persuaded the government of Canada, in spite of the strictures of the First World War, to finance what was then the world's largest operational telescope. Peter Broughton's accessible and engaging prose illuminates Plaskett's numerous achievements and the social, political, economic, and religious milieu surrounding them. This richly illustrated volume invites readers to understand the pull that Plaskett's passions, personality, and motivations exerted on him during his lifetime. Cover Contents Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Abbreviations Part One: Preparing the Ground 1 Rural Roots, to 1890 2 Toronto, 1890–1903 3 Ottawa Advancement, 1903–1907 Part Two: Budding Scientist 4 The Sun and the Stars, 1906–1911 5 The Dream of an Upright Man, 1911–1913 6 Transition, 1913–1917 Part Three: Career in Full Flower 7 This Is the House That Jack Built, 1917–1921 8 Challenges and Rewards, 1921–1923 9 The Farthest Stars, 1924–1926 10 Beyond the Stars, 1927–1930 11 The Big Picture, 1930–1934 Part Four: The Fruits of His Labour 12 Retirement, 1934–1941 13 Regeneration, 1942– Appendices Appendix A: Published Papers by J.S. Plaskett Appendix B: Talks Given by J.S. Plaskett Notes Selected Bibliography Index