Talk:Grote Reber

False claim
The article claimed that "For nearly a decade he was the world's only radio astronomer." This is obviously not true, but someone restored the claim after I removed it. Perhaps you could state which decade this might have been? Karl Jansky pioneered radio astronomy starting in 1931 and after he published his results, I doubt there was ever so much as a ten week period in which there was only one radio astronomer in the word, let alone a nearly ten year period. 94.117.109.141 (talk) 19:35, 20 August 2016 (UTC)


 * Period would be 1937 till after WWII was over. Source(s) are here. Jansky was re-assigned to another project after his discovery, leaving only Reber for many years. Fountains of Bryn Mawr (talk) 19:47, 20 August 2016 (UTC)
 * Here are some examples of work in radio astronomy from that period:
 * 1937: "On the Origin of Interstellar Radio Disturbances" Whipple & Greenstein
 * 1937: "Relation between Bright Chromospheric Eruptions and Fade-Outs of High-Frequency Radio Transmission" Richardson
 * 1938: "Radio Fadeouts, Auroras and Magnetic Storms" White, Skey and Geddes
 * 1941: "Radio Echoes and Cosmic Ray Showers" Blackett & Lovell
 * 1945: "Departure of Long-Wave Solar Radiation from Black-Body Intensity", Appleton
 * 1944: van de Hulst predicted the 21cm line.
 * 1946 (observations taken in 1942): "Solar Radiations in the 4–6 Metre Radio Wave-Length Band" Hey  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.117.109.141 (talk) 20:31, 20 August 2016 (UTC)

Primary sources (such as research papers) should not be interpreted to make a claim unless secondary sources make that claim (WP:PST). The papers are works of Astrophysics, most seem to build on the observations of radio astronomer Grote Reber (I see him cited by name in at least one). Some cite wartime observations by RADAR operators. None of this seems inconsistent with the claim that Grote Reber was the only active radio astronomer during that time. Fountains of Bryn Mawr (talk) 20:43, 20 August 2016 (UTC)
 * You don't think that research about radio waves in astronomy counts as radio astronomy? What exactly is your definition of a radio astronomer? 94.117.109.141 (talk) 20:56, 20 August 2016 (UTC)
 * What's the difference between astronomy and astrophysics?. Reber was a traditional astronomer... collecting data. The field was not developed enough for there to be other people specializing in the astrophysical side. Fountains of Bryn Mawr (talk) 15:03, 21 August 2016 (UTC)

Stating Reber to be the only radio astronomer in the world for nearly a decade is too bold a claim. The concept of radio astronomer (as a profession) does not really exist, and Reber was certainly not paid in that capacity. Even as an amateur radio astronomer, the claimant cannot prove the non-existence of other radio amateurs during that time who noted astronomical observations, and there are definitely counter examples of radar scientists making astronomical deductions (in collaboration with astronomers), but who were censored by wartime secrecy. Reber was prominent; there is no doubt of that. But he was no unique for such an extended period of time as is being asserted in the article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.90.242.55 (talk) 14:40, 27 March 2018 (UTC)


 * ❌ - please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Fountains of Bryn Mawr (talk) 19:14, 27 March 2018 (UTC)


 * In addition to the seven examples provided above (complete with their citations), there is additionally all the works referenced in ``Early History of Radio Astronomy'', George C. Southworth, The Scientific Monthly, Vol. 82, No. 2 (Feb., 1956), pp. 55-66.. For example, the case of King (1942), cited therein, makes the hypothesis of radio emission from the sun, which is then tested experimentally, and confirmed. The results are suppressed by wartime censorship. While there is little doubt that Reber was active and independent, suggesting he is the only person making experiments is not correct. To additionally suggest that radar-operators only made their experiments after the war is also misleading. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.242.196.226 (talk) 19:26, 31 March 2018 (UTC)

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Claim that Reber was assisted by James Ferguson: Citation needed
James Ferguson is not mentioned in any of several articles and memoirs by Reber I have reviewed. (This includes Reber's Astrophysical Journal and Proceedings of the IRE papers of 1940, Proc. IRE paper of 1942, Ap. J. paper of 1944, historical Proc. IRE paper of 1958 ("Early Radio Astronomy at Wheaton, Illinois"), and his 1988 historical account in Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.) Nor is Mr. Ferguson mentioned in Woodruff T. Sullivan's thorough history Cosmic Noise: a History of Early Radio Astronomy. If available, a source for the Ferguson claim should be provided; otherwise the claim should be removed.

Beamjockey (talk) 23:12, 18 March 2019 (UTC)