Solar scientist Eugene Parker passes away at 94
R.I.P. Solar scientist Eugene Parker, whose research revolutionized solar science in the 20th century and for which the Parker Solar Probe was named, has passed away at the age 94.
As a young professor at the University of Chicago in the mid-1950s, Parker developed a mathematical theory that predicted the solar wind, the constant outflow of solar material from the Sun. Throughout his career, Parker revolutionized the field time and again, advancing ideas that addressed the fundamental questions about the workings of our Sun and stars throughout the universe.
Parker belonged to the past generations of scientists who followed the principles of the Enlightenment and believed that science was fundamentally the search for truth. He understood he could always be wrong, which brought a certain muscular strength to any ideas he proposed. He could not be lazy in any way, or his work would fail. Instead, it shone, and made what little we know of the Sun today possible.
Sadly, such men are one-by-one going from us. I wonder if the new generations will understand his mindset.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
R.I.P. Solar scientist Eugene Parker, whose research revolutionized solar science in the 20th century and for which the Parker Solar Probe was named, has passed away at the age 94.
As a young professor at the University of Chicago in the mid-1950s, Parker developed a mathematical theory that predicted the solar wind, the constant outflow of solar material from the Sun. Throughout his career, Parker revolutionized the field time and again, advancing ideas that addressed the fundamental questions about the workings of our Sun and stars throughout the universe.
Parker belonged to the past generations of scientists who followed the principles of the Enlightenment and believed that science was fundamentally the search for truth. He understood he could always be wrong, which brought a certain muscular strength to any ideas he proposed. He could not be lazy in any way, or his work would fail. Instead, it shone, and made what little we know of the Sun today possible.
Sadly, such men are one-by-one going from us. I wonder if the new generations will understand his mindset.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
He lived long enough to see a probe named after him….rare if not unique.
The winner of seven awards in his lifetime, any one of which would be considered a considerable achievement. Including the naming of a solar probe while he was still alive!
Even though many of his hypothesis were later proven to be correct, others are not recognized as the current solar dynamic model… Probably for political reasons or nuclear fusion (weapons research) funding reasons.
“Eugene Newman Parker (June 10, 1927 – March 15, 2022) was an American solar physicist and plasma physicist. In the 1950s he proposed the existence of the solar wind and that the magnetic field in the outer Solar System would be in the shape of a Parker spiral, predictions that were later confirmed by spacecraft measurements. In 1987, Parker proposed that the solar corona might be heated by myriad tiny “nanoflares”, miniature brightenings resembling solar flares that would occur all over the surface of the Sun; this is a leading candidate to explain the coronal heating problem.[1][2]”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Parker
I was hoping the solar probe would confirm existence nano flares while he was still alive. (although the Soho observations declared it so nearly 25 years ago… ) One of the reasons I became so intensely fascinated with space and physics because of the new monumental discoveries being declared / discovered by SOHO and a British scientist selling his book “OUR MANTIC SUN” on the BBC… and then confused by the ignoring of the science that was proven correct, for unknown reasons, favoring the sun being a nuclear furnace despite the lack of evidence and radiation.
Parker was truly an inspiration for all those who seek the truth in the scientific method and of reason, testing and verification… (as he was an inspiration for me)
Instead of computer models pre-programmed for a particular outcome desired and flamboyance.
(The PT Barnum method)
Hopefully when sanity returns to the universities, his courageous discoveries will be numbered among others such as Galileo, Newton, Einstein… The ones who made a difference!
” I wonder if the new generations will understand his mindset.”
Oh, I’ve met some of the kids who are going to be all right.
They’ve seen that depending on the State is a problematic, at best, and want little to do with it.
The sun shines strong still