Biography of Famous Scientist Antony Hewish

Antony Hewish: A Detailed Biography

Early Life and Education:
Antony Hewish was born on May 11, 1924, in Fowey, Cornwall, England. He grew up in a coastal town, and his early fascination with science and technology was nurtured by the natural surroundings. Hewish’s interest in physics and astronomy began during his school years.

He attended King’s College, Taunton, and later won a scholarship to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, in 1942. However, due to World War II, his studies were interrupted as he served in the Royal Signals, where he worked on radar development.

Academic Career at Cambridge:
After the war, Hewish resumed his studies at Cambridge, completing his degree in 1948. He then joined the University of Cambridge as a research student. Under the supervision of Sir Martin Ryle, a pioneer in radio astronomy, Hewish began his groundbreaking work in the field.

In the early 1950s, Hewish became involved in the construction and operation of the Interplanetary Scintillation Array, a radio telescope designed to study cosmic radio sources.

Discovery of Pulsars:
One of the most significant achievements in Hewish’s career came in 1967 when he, along with his student Jocelyn Bell Burnell, discovered pulsars. The discovery was made using a radio telescope built by Ryle and Hewish at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in Cambridge.

Pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation, leading to periodic pulses of radio waves. The discovery of pulsars was groundbreaking, and it opened up new avenues for the study of astrophysics and neutron stars.

Nobel Prize in Physics (1974):
In 1974, Antony Hewish, along with Sir Martin Ryle, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering work in radio astrophysics and the discovery of pulsars. It was a significant recognition of their contributions to our understanding of the universe.

Later Career and Contributions:
Antony Hewish continued his work in radio astronomy and played a role in the development of the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico, USA. He remained active in academic research and teaching, contributing to the advancement of radio astronomy.

Throughout his career, Hewish received numerous honors and awards, acknowledging his exceptional contributions to astrophysics. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1959 and received the Eddington Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1969.

Personal Life:
Antony Hewish married Margery Finnegan in 1950, and they had two sons. His passion for science, particularly radio astronomy, remained a driving force throughout his life.

Antony Hewish passed away on September 13, 2021, at the age of 97. His legacy lives on through his pioneering work in the field of radio astronomy and the groundbreaking discovery of pulsars, which continues to shape our understanding of the cosmos.