Amateur Scientists, the International Geophysical Year, and the Ambitions of Fred Whipple

Details Amateur Scientists, the International Geophysical Year, and the Ambitions of Fred Whipple Amateur Scientists, the International Geophysical Year, and the Ambitions of Fred Whipple

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006isis...97..634m&link_type=abstract

Isis. Journal of the History of Science Society (ISSN 0021-1753), Vol. 97, No. 4, p. 634 - 658 (2006)

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

History Of Science

Scientific paper

The contribution of amateur scientists to the International Geophysical Year (IGY) was substantial, especially in the arena of spotting artificial satellites. This article examines how Fred L. Whipple and his colleagues recruited satellite spotters for Moonwatch, a program for amateur scientists initiated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) in 1956. At the same time, however, the administrators with responsibility for the IGY program closely monitored and managed - sometimes even contested - amateur participation. IGY programs like Moonwatch provided valuable scientific information and gave amateurs opportunities to contribute activiely to the research of professional scientists. Moonwatch, which operated until 1975, eventually became the public face of a vast satellite-tracking network that expanded the SAO's global reach and helped further Whipple's professional goals. Understanding amateurs' interactions with the professional science community enables us better to understand the IGY as a phenomenon that enlisted broad participation and transcended traditional boundaries between professional and amateur scientists.

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