Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr.

Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr. (born March 29, 1941) is an American astrophysicist and winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics, shared with his former student Russell Alan Hulse, for the discovery of a new type of pulsar, a discovery that has opened up new possibilities for the study of gravitation.

Early years

Taylor was born in Philadelphia to Joseph Hooton Taylor, Sr., and Sarah Evans Taylor, both of whom had Quaker roots for many generations. He was educated at Haverford College (B.A. Physics 1963) and Harvard University (Ph.D. Astronomy 1968). After a brief research position at Harvard, Taylor went to the University of Massachusetts, eventually becoming Professor of Astronomy and Associate Director of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. Taylor's thesis work was on lunar occultation measurements. About the time he completed his Ph.D., Jocelyn Bell discovered the first radio pulsars with a telescope near Cambridge, England.

Related Topics:
Philadelphia - Quaker - Haverford College - B.A. - Physics - 1963 - Harvard University - Ph.D. - Astronomy - 1968 - University of Massachusetts - Professor - Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory - Lunar occultation - Jocelyn Bell - Cambridge - England

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