Christian Thomas Elvey (April 1, 1899 – March 1, 1970) was an American astronomer and geophysicist.

Biography

He was born in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

to John A. and Lizzie Christina (Née Miller). As a student at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

, he studied Astronomy and Physics, and was awarded a B.A. in 1921 then a Masters in 1923. His doctoral work in astrophysics was performed at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

, where he was granted a Ph.D. in 1930 with a thesis concerning "the Relations Between the Observed Contours of Spectral Lines and the Physical Properties of the Stars". Elvey worked at the Yerkes Observatory and later served as astronomer-in-charge at

McDonald Observatory McDonald Observatory is an astronomical observatory located near unincorporated community of Fort Davis in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. The facility is located on Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, with additional facil ...

. His research included investigating the spectra of stars, galactic light, aurorae, and the

gegenschein Gegenschein (; ; ) or counterglow is a faintly bright spot in the night sky centered at the antisolar point. The backscatter of sunlight by interplanetary dust causes this optical phenomenon. Explanation Like zodiacal light, gegenschein is su ...

. During 1939–40 he worked with fellow Yerkes Observatory astronomers Otto Struve (his former teacher) and Christine Westgate to study the rate of

rotation Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...

in higher mass stars via

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter wa ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he performed applied research into rocket ballistics at the California Institute of Technology. He then joined the China Lake U. S. Naval Ordnance Test Station, becoming head of staff in 1951. In 1952, Elvey became Director of the

Geophysical Institute The Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks conducts research into space physics and aeronomy; atmospheric sciences; snow, ice, and permafrost; seismology; volcanology; and tectonics and sedimentation. It was founded in 1946 by ...

in Alaska, a post he would keep until 1963. He undertook a study of aurora and helped design an all-sky camera as part of the

International Geophysical Year The International Geophysical Year (IGY; french: Année géophysique internationale) was an international scientific project that lasted from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific ...

(IGY) during 1957–1958. He was instrumental in winning funding for the IGY from the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

and served as Chairman of the Aurora and Airglow Committee at the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. From 1961–63 he served as the Vice President of research and advanced study at the University of Alaska. He retired in 1967, then died in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

three years later. Dr. Elvey was survived by his wife Marjorie Dora née Purdy, plus their son Thomas and daughter Christina.

Awards and honors

* Elected a Fellow of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

, 1950 (search on year=1950 and institution=All) * Awarded an honorary Doctorate from the

University of Alaska The University of Alaska System is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Alaska. It was created in 1917 and comprises three separately accredited universities on 19 campuses. The system serves nearly 30,000 full- and part-time stud ...

, May 19, 1969. * Elvey crater on the far side of the Moon is named after him. * The C. T. Elvey Building, home to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, is named after him.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Elvey, Christian Thomas 19th-century births 1970 deaths People from Phoenix, Arizona University of Chicago alumni American astronomers American geophysicists University of Kansas alumni Fellows of the American Physical Society