Person: Moulton, Forest Ray
Forest Ray Moulton was an American astronomer. He was one of the proponents of the planetesimal hypothesis of the origin and evolution of the solar system.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Belah Moulton had fought in the Civil War and had received the land as a war veteran.
- However it was heavily forested land and Belah had to clear the trees before he could start to farm there.
- a perfect ray of light and happiness in that dense forest.
- Moulton became a part-time instructor at Albion in 1892 and held this position until he graduated from the College in 1894.
- Moulton's main interests were in the application of mathematics to problems in astronomy.
- Moulton is best known, however, as the co-author with Thomas C Chamberlin of the Chamberlin-Moulton planetesimal hypothesis of the origin and evolution of the solar system.
- Moulton began working with Chamberlin, who was professor of geology at Chicago, when he was undertaking graduate studies at Chicago.
- However it was Moulton who made Chamberlin's idea into a solid theory by providing the necessary mathematical calculations.
- Moulton's Company came close to collapse in 1933 but it just survived.
- Moulton's most famous pupil was Edwin Hubble.
Born 29 April 1872, LeRoy, Michigan, USA. Died 7 December 1952, Wilmette, Illinois, USA.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Astronomy, Origin Usa
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- non-Github:
- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
