Jansky, Karl G.
Karl G. Jansky papers, 1923-1989.
The bulk of this collection documents media coverage of Janskys serendipitous discovery of radio waves coming from the Milky Way, including hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles from 1933 through the 1980s. Also included in the collection are Janskys published articles and letters to Jansky from family members and colleagues regarding his discovery. Following Janskys death in 1950, there are letters to and from his widow (Alice Jansky) and brother (C.M. Jansky Jr.) regarding his work and legacy. There are also a small number of Jansky family photos and artifacts in the collection. An additional resource with the Jansky collection is a series of five 1965 Bell Labs oral interviews exploring why Jansky did not continue his "star noise" research.
Karl Jansky received his Bachelor of Science and Master's degree, both in physics, in 1927 and 1936 from the University of Wisconsin. Jansky was hired by Bell Laboratories in 1928 and was asked to investigate interference in trans-Atlantic radiotelephone service and suggest ways to mitigate it. While investigating this issue, he made the groundbreaking discovery that radio waves were coming from the Milky Way, which he called "star noise."
Jansky, Karl G.
Bell Telephone Laboratories
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Artifacts. aat
Oral histories. aat
Photographs. aat
Publications. aat
AIP-ICOS
National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Archives. 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA