Sir Harold Spencer Jones KBE FRS

Spencer Jones's astronomical work extended over a range of subjects. He specialised in positional astronomy, particularly the motion and orientation of the Earth in space. He also studied the motions of stars. He travelled to Minsk in Eastern Europe in 1914 to observe a total solar eclipse, departing during peacetime but returning after the start of the First World War. In 1922 he travelled to Christmas Island in an attempt to observe a total solar eclipse, intending to verify the deflection of the light of stars by the Sun that had been seen during a 1919 eclipse, but cloud defeated the attempts. In 1951, the Institute's highest award, the Gold Medal was named in his honour and continues to be awarded by the Institute to those who make outstanding contributions to navigation.

Personal life

Sir Harold Spencer Jones had two sons, John (whose early career was spent as a jet pilot with the Royal Air Force) and David, with his wife Lady Gladys Mary Owens Spencer Jones.

Retirement and later life

Spencer Jones retired as Astronomer Royal at the end of 1955. He continued to contribute actively to a number of scientific bodies. He died on 3 November 1960 aged 70.

  • Prize Medal of the Stoke-on-Trent Association of Engineers https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-207057

Honors

  • elected International Member of the American Philosophical Society (1942)
  • elected International Member of the United States National Academy of Sciences (1943)
  • elected International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. (1945)

Named after him

  • The crater Spencer Jones on the Moon
  • The crater Jones on Mars
  • Asteroid 3282 Spencer Jones

Lectures

In 1944 Spencer Jones was invited to deliver the Royal Institution Christmas Lecture on Astronomy in our Daily Life.

References

Further reading

  • Online catalogue of Spencer Jones' working papers (part of the Royal Greenwich Observatory Archives held at Cambridge University Library)