Ralph B. Baldwin

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Ralph Belknap Baldwin (born June 6, 1912 in Grand Rapids , Michigan ; died October 23, 2010 there ) was an American astrophysicist and planetary researcher who was the first to prove that lunar craters cannot be of volcanic origin, but rather through impacts from trapped celestial bodies originate.

Life

Youth, training, start of career

Ralph B. Baldwin was born and raised in Grand Rapids to Melvin Dana Baldwin and Julie Adeline Belknap Baldwin. As a child he was primarily interested in astronomy; this interest was awakened and supported by his grandmother. After graduating from high school, he went to the University of Michigan and studied astrophysics under Heber Curtis and Dean McLaughlin . In 1934 he made his bachelor's degree, in 1935 his master's degree and in 1937 received his doctorate .

From 1935 to 1942 he taught astronomy at the Universities of Michigan and Pennsylvania and Northwestern University . In addition, he continued to work on the development of physical models of novae and binary stars . Because of the bad pay at the universities, he also gave lectures at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.

Moon crater research

Mare Imbrium

At the Adler Planetarium , large-format photographs of the moon aroused his interest and he began to research the surface structures of the moon. In the photographs he recognized deep valleys and grooves that ran to the center of the Mare Imbrium and whose origins he could not explain. At the time, there was a unanimous opinion among experts that the lunar craters were of volcanic origin. In general, there was little interest in the moon because it was considered a "dead planet". Baldwin recognized that the structures cannot be explained by volcanic activity and developed the theory that most craters and structures can only be explained by the impact of celestial bodies, i.e. that they are impact craters . He tried to win other scientists for his thesis, but met with rejection and disinterest. Since his scientific articles were rejected by specialist journals, he finally published his first article on this topic ( The Meteoritic Origin of Lunar Craters ) in the popular scientific journal Popular Astronomy in 1942 . Despite the lack of scientific feedback and convinced of his theory, Baldwin continued to research the formation of craters and the calculation of the size of the objects that had caused the craters. Calculations by the Pentagon about explosion craters caused by bombs helped him .

View of the full moon with lunar craters and the Mare Imbrium

Military research in World War II

With America's entry into World War II , he had to postpone his research. From 1942 to 1946 he worked in the laboratory for applied physics at Johns Hopkins University under Merle Tuve on the development of the distance detonator , called VT Fuze . This was used in anti- aircraft shells against the V1 and represented a considerable military advantage, as the USA was the only power involved in the war that could mass-produce these detonators. They were used for the first time in 1943, but only with great success in the US Army in the 1944 Battle of the Bulge . Much later, he wrote the two books The Deadly Fuze: The Secret Weapon of World War II and They Never Knew about this work What Hit Them . He received two military awards for his work and, in 1947, the President's Certificate of Merit , an award for civilians who performed outstanding deeds or service during the war.

Work in family business and private research

In 1947, at the request of his family, he joined the family business in Grand Rapids; he accepted the request on the condition that he could continue his research. Oliver Machinery Company manufactured machines for wood processing, among other things.

Despite the fact that he had little time for his own research and that his first two writings on the surface structure of the moon did not meet with any interest or recognition, he realized that he had to publish his research, calculations and considerations in a book. The Face of the Moon appeared in 1949 and met with divided reactions in the professional world.

In 1970 he became company president and in 1982 chairman of the board of directors. In 1984 he retired from the company. He was also President of Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) from 1964 to 1968 . He also conducted research and wrote other books during his career with the company.

He was married to Lois (Virginia Johnston) Baldwin for 62 years until her death in 2002. The couple had three children.

Reception of Baldwin's results

Ralph B. Baldwin has published numerous scientific papers and essays. His research and findings on lunar craters are important foundations for the formation of planets and the collision theory . The Face of the Moon is now considered a standard work in the history of lunar research.

Awards and honors (selection)

The University of Michigan awards the Ralph B. Baldwin Prize in Astrophysics and Space Sciences each year . The WMMA also presents the Ralph B. Baldwin Award every year .

Memberships (selection)

Literature (selection)

by Ralph B. Baldwin

by and about Ralph B. Baldwin

  • New Worlds: A Partial History of the Life and the Scientific and Military Works of Dr. Ralph Belknap Baldwin , autobiography, self-published , Naples, FL 2007

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Baldwin, Ralph B.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Baldwin, Ralph Belknap (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American astrophysicist who did crucial work on lunar craters
DATE OF BIRTH June 6, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Grand Rapids
DATE OF DEATH October 23, 2010
Place of death Grand Rapids