Rucha (Year 8)
Editor’s note: Now in Year 9, Rucha wrote this carefully researched and well-written essay whilst still only in Year 8. Dr. George Robert Carruthers was a pioneering African American astrophysicist and inventor whose work in ultraviolet astronomy significantly advanced our understanding of space and Earth’s atmosphere. His innovations, including the first Moon-based observatory, have had lasting impacts on science and technology. CPD
Dr. George Robert Carruthers, an African American astrophysicist, inventor, and engineer, was born on the 1st of October 1939 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His research on ultraviolet astronomy and his examination of the Earth’s upper atmosphere led to his recognition for his contributions to physics, which has shaped our understanding of space today and paved the way for further studies.
Carruthers was the eldest of four children; his mother worked with the U.S. Postal Service, whilst his father was a civil engineer working for the U.S. Army Air Corps, which kindled his early interest in science. Throughout his childhood, Carruthers had been a keen reader of science and astronomy books and by the age of 10, he had built his very own telescope with cardboard tubing and lenses he had bought with his savings as a delivery boy. At the mere age of 12, his father passed away and although this was a tremendous setback, his love for science persevered, and Carruthers began participating in several science clubs as well as becoming a member of the Chicago Rocket Society. As his curiosity continued to grow, he started competing in Chicago’s high school science fairs, resulting in three awards, including a first prize award for the construction of a telescope.
After a few years, Carruthers went to the University of Illinois, where he was awarded a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering in 1961, he earned a master’s degree in nuclear engineering in 1962 and additionally, he received a Ph.D. in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1964. Carruthers immediately joined the Naval Research Laboratory, where he studied far ultraviolet astronomy (FUV), exploring stars, gases and dust and focused on constructing a device that would help scientists to detect and measure gases, leading to his brilliant invention of the “Image Converter,” which he received the patent for in 1969. This instrument detected electromagnetic radiation in short wavelengths and worked alongside the sounding rocket, which together confirmed the existence of molecular hydrogen in interstellar space and both these tools pictured the Earth under UV light to detect the large extent of the hydrogen atmosphere. Consequently, this has helped modern scientists to understand electromagnetic radiation in more detail and confirmed that hydrogen is the most abundant element of the universe. Furthermore, this has allowed scientists understand different types of electromagnetic waves and his findings helped in the process of creating an electromagnetic spectrum.
Meanwhile, Carruthers’ had set himself a far more ambitious project: the first Moon-based observatory. Leading a team of scientists and engineers, he became the inventor of the spectrograph. This ultraviolet camera recorded radiation and other space phenomena and captured views of newly discovered stars, which are not visible to the unaided human eye. In addition, it was used on multiple projects, including the mission it had been specifically developed for, Apollo 16, as well as to capture a brilliant UV image of Halley’s Comet in 1986. Carruthers said, “this was the first time that the Earth had been photographed from a distance in ultraviolet light” and it even observed over 550 stars, nebulae and galaxies that wouldn’t have been possible to see from land. It rests on the surface of the moon today and remains a very useful invention.
During the 1980s, Carruthers devoted lots of his time to mentoring students and promoting science and technology to young people, especially Black Americans. He helped create the Science & Engineers Apprentice Program that allows students to spend their summer working alongside scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to this day, in 1996 and 1997 he taught a course in Earth and Space Science for D.C. public school science teachers and, later, in 2002, a two-semester course for students at Harvard University, sponsored by a NASA Aerospace workforce development grant. After retiring from NRL in 2002, Carruthers was recognized by the Office of Naval Research as a distinguished Lecturer in the field of space science, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall Of Fame (2003) and received many honours for his contributions to aeronautical engineering and science. This included the Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal from NASA (1972), the Warner Prize from the American Astronomical Society (1973), the Black Engineer of the Year Award (1987), the Arthur S. Flemming Award and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation on February 1st 2013, presented to him by President Barack Obama at the White House.
At the age of 73, Carruthers’s health began to deteriorate and on the 26th of December 2020, he passed away in a Washington D.C. hospital at the age of 81.
Despite the hardships of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. George Carruthers has helped develop the field of science and engineering, letting his knowledge and passion lead him into making a significant impact on the world. His former colleague recalls “ in front of his peers or when he lectured students, he could leave you spellbound with the depth of knowledge he possessed.”
In honour of his life’s achievements, NASA has named a mission after Carruthers. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will capture light from Earth’s geocorona (part of the outer atmosphere that emits UV light) and observe Earth from space. The mission will be ready to launch in 2025 in celebration of Carruthers’s life.
References
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/George-R-Carruthers/471103
https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/george-carruthers-41
https://www.biography.com/inventors/george-carruthers
https://www.repicture.com/project/the-invention-of-spectrograph-and-hydrogen-molecules
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/george-carruthers-telescope-maker-and-lunar-pioneer/https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-names-mission-in-honor-of-dr-george-r-carruthers-visionary-behind-first-moon-based-telescope/
The GSAL Journal 