astronomy

Wilbur Norman Christiansen

Wilbur Norman Christiansen 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 Wilbur Norman Christiansen rather than just read about it. In short: Wilbur Norman "Chris" Christiansen (9 August 1913 – 26 April 2007) was a pioneer Australian radio astronomer and electrical engineer. Family The son of Wilhelm Christiansen (1883-1920), and Ilma Clarice Christiansen (1885-1983), née Jones, Wilbur Norman Christiansen was born in Elsternwick, Victoria on 9 August 1913.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Wilbur Norman "Chris" Christiansen (9 August 1913 – 26 April 2007) was a pioneer Australian radio astronomer and electrical engineer.

Family The son of Wilhelm Christiansen (1883-1920), and Ilma Clarice Christiansen (1885-1983), née Jones, Wilbur Norman Christiansen was born in Elsternwick, Victoria on 9 August 1913. His father was a minister in the Congregational Church, and his mother a music teacher. In his adult life he was always known as "Chris". He married Elsie Mary Hill, at Chatswood, New South Wales in 1938.

Education Educated at Caulfield Grammar School from 1921 to 1930, he entered the University of Melbourne in 1931, reading Science, and was associated as a non-resident student with Trinity College, where he won an Exhibition in 1932. He graduated Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) (1934), Master of Science (M.Sc.) (1935) — winning the Professor Kernot Research Scholarship in Natural Philosophy. — and Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) (1953) from the University of Melbourne. Along with Ronald Drayton Brown, he was awarded the Syme Prize Medal for 1959.

Career Christiansen built the first grating array for scanning the sun at the radio astronomy field station at Potts Hill, New South Wales. A later array at Badgerys Creek, New South Wales, the Chris Cross Telescope, was named after Christiansen. For many years, he was chairman of the electrical engineering department at the University of Sydney. In 1981 he was made an honorary fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia.

Royal Commission on Espionage On 27 January 1955, Christiansen appeared before the Royal Commission on Espionage. He was extensively questioned in relation to his own political orientation, the influence of certain of his wife's siblings — one of whom had the code name "Tourist" — and, in particular, in relation to the fact that he was not only mentioned in secret Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (M.V.D.) documents turned over to the Australian authorities by Vladimir Petrov, but also had been of such interest to the Russians that they had given him the unique code name of "Master". It was determined that there was no grounds for any suspicion of him ever having any connexion with the M.V.D.; and, in the process of his examination, the counsel assisting the Commission, George Pape, produced statements from both Mr. and Mrs. Petrov asserting that Christiansen was not known to them at all.

Death He died on 26 April 2007 in Dorrigo, New South Wales, near his son Tim and his brother Steven. His wife Elspeth died in 2001 and their son Peter, also a space physicist, died in 1992.

See also List of Caulfield Grammar School people Google doodle from 2013 https://doodles.google/doodle/wilbur-norman-christiansens-100th-birthday/

Notes

References Webber, Horace (1981). Years May Pass On... Caulfield Grammar School, 1881–1981. Centenary Committee, Caulfield Grammar School, (East St Kilda). ISBN 0-9594242-0-2.

External links Biographical entry, Encyclopedia of Australian Science Comprehensive biography, CSIROpedia Biography, Eric Weisstein's World of Biography Obituary, The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 May 2007 Obituary, Chinese Academy of Sciences Wilbur Norman Christiansen 1913–2007, R.H. Frater and W.M. Goss, Cornell University Library, arXiv Christiansen, W. N. (Wilbur Norman) National Library of Australia Trove

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wilbur Norman Christiansen

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wilbur Norman Christiansen 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 Wilbur Norman Christiansen 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 Wilbur Norman Christiansen 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 Wilbur Norman Christiansen

In research: Wilbur Norman Christiansen 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 Wilbur Norman Christiansen 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: Wilbur Norman Christiansen is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1913 births, 2007 deaths, 20th-century Australian astronomers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wilbur Norman Christiansen 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.

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How to study Wilbur Norman Christiansen in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Wilbur Norman Christiansen in simple terms?

Wilbur Norman "Chris" Christiansen (9 August 1913 – 26 April 2007) was a pioneer Australian radio astronomer and electrical engineer. Family The son of Wilhelm Christiansen (1883-1920), and Ilma Clarice Christiansen (1885-1983), née Jones, Wilbur Norman Christiansen was born in Elsternwick, Victori…

Why does Wilbur Norman Christiansen 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 Wilbur Norman Christiansen?

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 Wilbur Norman Christiansen.