Making Waves

Miller Goss received his undergraduate degree in astronomy from Harvard in 1963 and a PhD from the University of California (Berkeley) in 1967, working on the newly discovered OH radio frequency line at the Hat Creek Observatory. He then moved to Australia to the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics, first as a postdoctoral fellow and later as a staff member. In 1976 he was the recipient of the Pawsey Medal of the Australian Academy of Science. From 1977 to 1986 he was on the staff of the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and then professor from 1980 to 1986. In 1986 he moved to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro New Mexico (USA). He was Director of the Very Large Array and the Very Long Baseline Array from 1988 to 2002. He and Dick McGee began working on Under the Radar, the First Woman in Radio Astronomy: Ruby Payne-Scott, in 1997. It was published in 2009 with book launches in Sydney and Canberra. At present Goss and Claire Hooker are working on a joint biography of J.L. Pawsey and J.G. Bolton. Goss’ scientific interests are radio astronomical studies of the interstellar medium in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. Goss is currently on the scientific staff of NRAO and is the author of over 500 astronomical publications. Under the Radar, the First Woman in Radio Astronomy: Ruby Payne-Scott, in 1997. It was published in 2009 with book launches in Sydney and Canberra. At present Goss and Claire Hooker are working on a joint biography of J.L. Pawsey and J.G. Bolton. Goss’ scientific interests are radio astronomical studies of the interstellar medium in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. Goss is currently on the scientific staff of NRAO and is the author of over 500 astronomical publications.

From the reviews: "This book documents the history of the early days of radar astronomy in Australia and the scientific career of Ruby Payne-Scott. ... For everyone else, I recommend reading Making Waves ... . Printed in paperback, and with colour pictures, the book even looks easier to read." (Kate Brooks, Historical Records of Australian Science, Vol. 25 (1), 2014)

• A Brief, Basic Guide to Terms and Concepts of Solar Radio Astronomy.- Ruby Payne-Scott’s Ancestors and Her Early Childhood.- Ruby Payne-Scott’s Education and Early Employment.- Wartime Research by Ruby Payne-Scott at the Radiophysics Laboratory.- 1944-1945: Ruby Payne-Scott – The First Woman Radio Astronomer.- 1945-1946: Early Radio Astronomy at Dover Heights.- 1946-1947: Personal Tragedy and Professional Triumph.- 1948: Hornsby Field Station – Daily Observations.- 1949-1951: Radio Astronomy Blossoms as a Field, but Ruby Must Resign from the Radiophysics Laboratory.- 1952: Ruby Payne-Scott’s Last Experience as a Radio Astronomer at the International Union of Radio Science.- The Married Life and Motherhood of Ruby Payne-Scott.- 1963-1974: Employment at Danebank School.- The Last Years and Legacy of Ruby Payne-Scott.