astronomy

Richard Tousey

Richard Tousey is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Richard Tousey rather than just read about it. In short: Richard Tousey (May 18, 1908 – April 15, 1997) was an American astronomer. He was a pioneer in the observation of the sun from space and took the first photographs of the sun's ultraviolet spectrum.

Key takeaways

Richard Tousey belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Richard Tousey to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Richard Tousey from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Richard Tousey (May 18, 1908 – April 15, 1997) was an American astronomer. He was a pioneer in the observation of the sun from space and took the first photographs of the sun's ultraviolet spectrum. Richard Tousey was born on May 18, 1908, in Somerville, Massachusetts, to Coleman and Adella Hill Tousey. He received a bachelor's degree from Tufts University (1928), then MA (1929) and Ph.D.(1933) in physics from Harvard University. His dissertation related to measuring optical properties of fluorite at 1216 angstroms was completed under Theodore Lyman. Tousey taught and conducted research at Harvard from 1933 to 1936, then Tufts until 1941. Upon invitation by E.O. Hulburt, Tousey joined the Naval Research Laboratory where his initial work focused on night vision. Using captured V-2 rockets made available for research at White Sands Missile Range, he was able to measure the first ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of the sun. He married Ruth Lowe in 1932 and together they had one daughter, Joanna. The family shared an interest in music and collected musical instruments. They also collected and researched antique silverware and its makers. Richard was a member of the American Silver Guild. Tousey died of pneumonia on April 15, 1997, at Prince Georges Hospital Center in Maryland.

Honors Fellow of The Optical Society (1959) Frederic Ives Medal (1960) Honorary Doctor of Science from Tufts (1961) Henry Draper Medal (1963) Eddington Medal (1964) Henry Norris Russell Lectureship (1966)

References

External links National Academy of Sciences biography

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard Tousey

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard Tousey claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Richard Tousey before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Richard Tousey ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Richard Tousey

In research: Richard Tousey appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Richard Tousey in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Richard Tousey is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1908 births, 1997 deaths, 20th-century American people, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard Tousey outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Richard Tousey” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Richard Tousey in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Richard Tousey means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Richard Tousey out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Richard Tousey in simple terms?

Why does Richard Tousey matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Richard Tousey?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Richard Tousey.