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Porter, John Guy, 1900-1981.
John Guy Porter papers, 1936-1980.
Includes: A. Correspondence, published papes, reviews, complimentary publications, draft papers, HMNAO work, lecture notes, BBC Radio broadcasts scripts, miscellaneous items; B. Documentation of important topics and events, such as: correspondence with British Broadcasting Corporation concerning his various radio broadcasts; popularization of science in the broadcasting medium; adaption of classical methods of orbit calculation to electromechanical calculators and early electronic computers; early use of electromechanical calculators and electronic computers in scientific work in the United Kingdom; C. The following is a partial list of the names of correspondents and others as they appear in the handlist to this class of papers in in RGO Archives. It must be remembered that this is not necessarily an exhaustive list of names as they appear in the papers themselves. Researchers interested in a particular period are invited to write to the RGO Archivist at the above address if they are interested in particular individuals whose names do not appear below, but who could possibly have been in correspondence with the person or institution responsible for creating the class. Correspondents: J. Ainslie; E. Aldcock; A. Alexander; C. Allen; P. Apian; Aristotle; N. Armstrong; F. Baldet; J. Baldwin; D. Balkain; C. Bartrum; H. Batchelor; W. Baxter; B. Benima; Bessel; Dr. Blackwell; Bode; D. Brouwer; P. Brown; J. Buckley; W. Calway; M. Candy; A. Carter; J. Cassell; W. Chambers; Charles II (King); H. Charnock; J. Cherniack; C. Christison; A. Clow; E. Collinson; C. Collocott; L. Comrie; T. Conely; J. Cook; D. Cooke; Copernicus; F. Cousins; F. Cripps; J. Danby; H. Davy; D. Deacon; I Debono; E. Delo; D. Dewhirst; J. Dickins; Mrs. Dimwoodie; C. Dinwoodie; A. Doig; P. Dossett; L. Dougherty; R. Duncombe; J. Duthell; D. Edge; Mrs. F. Elwell; Rev. T. Espin; E. Everhart; V. Fedynsky; C. Flammarion; J. Flamsteed; Miss D. Foulger; F. Franklin; Galileo; R. Garstang; P. Glover; R. Glynn; J. Gooddricke; R. Gray; R. Griffen; J. Grygar; G. Hall; Dr. Halley; E. Halley; I. Hasegawa; E. Hawke; W. Hay; W. Herschel; Hevelius; K. Hindley; L. Kohoutek; Dr. Kuiper; Prof. Oort; Dr. Opik; J. Porter; Dr. Slipher; Sir H. Specner-Jones; Struve; P. Stumpff; M. Sumner; and F. Whipple, among others.
Porter graduated with honours in chemistry from the University of London in 1922. He joined the British Astronomical Association in 1932 and became intersted in the computation of cometary, meteor and natural satellite orbits, becoming in 1938 the Director of the BAA Computing Section, a position that he held until 1959. His Ph.D. thesis of 1945 concerned the analysis of British meteor data, and he collaborated with A. C. B. Lovell in the early days of the radar observation of meteor trails. Between 1948 and 1950 he was the President of the BAA and from 1946 to 1961 he gave monthly talks on the Home Service or Third Network of BBC radio entitled "The Night Sky". During these years he also frequently broadcast on the radio to schools and in other programmes. In 1949 Porter joined HM Nautical Almanac Office at the Royal Greenwich Observatory under D. H. Sadler, then Superintendent, to adapt the classical methods of orbit calculation for use with electromechanical calculators and later to early electronic computers. He retired in 1961 and then spent six months in the United States, firstly at Yale University and then at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. His later years were devoted to his lifelong interest in the mathematics of orbits and in quiet domestic pursuits.
Jones, H. Spencer (Harold Spencer), 1890-
Astronomy -- Data processing -- England.
Science -- Data processing -- Great Britain.
Broadcasts. aat
Drafts (documents). aat aat
Lecture notes. aat
Publications. aat
Radio scripts. lcsh aat
Reviews. aat
Astronomers lcsh
Astronomy -- Popularization.
Science -- Popularization.
Ainslei, J.
Aldcock, E.
Alexander, A.
Allen, C.
Apian, P.
Aristotle
Armstrong, N.
Baldet, F.
Baldwin, J.
Balkain, D.
Bartrum, C.
Batchelor, H.
Baxter, W.
Benima, B.
Bessel.
Blackwell, Dr.
Bode.
Brouwer, Dirk, 1902-
Brown, P.
Buckley, J.
Calway, W.
Candy, M.
Carter, A.
Cassell, J.
Chambers, W.
Charles II, King.
Charnock, H.
Cherniack, J.
Christison, C.
Clow, A.
Collinson, E.
Collocott, C.
Comrie, L. J. (Leslie John), 1893-1950.
Conely, T.
Cook, J.
Cooke, D.
Copernicus.
Cousins, F.
Cripps, F.
Danby, J.
Davy, H.
Deacon, D.
Debono, I.
Delo, E.
Dewhirst, D.
Dickins, J.
Dimwoodie, Mrs.
Dinwoodie, C.
Doig, A.
Dossett, P.
Dougherty, L.
Duncombe, R.
Duthell, J.
Edge, D.
Elwell, F., Mrs.
Espin, T., Rev.
Everhart, E.
Fedynsky, V.
Flammarion, C.
Flamsteed, J.
Foulger, D., Miss
Franklin, F.
Galilei, Galileo, 1564-1642.
Garstang, R.
Glover, P.
Glynn, R.
Goodricke, J.
Gray, R.
Griffen, R.
Grygar, J.
Hall, G.
Halley, Dr.
Hasegawa, I.
Hawke, E.
Hay, William W., 1943-
Herschel, W.
Hevelius, Johannes, 1611-1687.
Hindley, K.
Hubbard, W.
Kohoutek, L.
Kuiper, Gerard P. (Gerard Peter), 1905-1973
Oort, Jan Hendrik.
pik, Ernst Julius, 1893-1985
Porter, John Guy, 1900-1981.
Slipher, Dr.
Struve.
Stumpff, P.
Sumner, M.
Whipple, Fred L. (Fred Lawrence), 1906-2004
British Broadcasting Company.
AIP-ICOS
Royal Greenwich Observatory Archives Department of Manuscripts and University Archives. Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR, England UK
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