Joseph Nunn
Encyclopedia
Joseph Nunn was an American
engineer
.
In 1956 he worked in collaboration with Dr. James G. Baker
to design and manufacture a series of satellite
tracking camera
s. These were called Baker-Nunn cameras after their designers, and consisted of a very precise tracking system combined with an unusually large, wide-field camera for photographing large areas of the sky. Joseph Nunn was responsible for designing the mechanical elements of these cameras, while Dr. Baker worked on the camera. The optics were fabricated by the Perkin-Elmer Corporation
, and the camera was assembled by Boller and Chivens
.
This camera provided tracking data on the Soviet Union
's Sputnik I satellite. An STP network of the 12 cameras were built by August 1958. The cameras remained in operation until the 1991, when they were decommissioned. At least one of the cameras was later refurbished for use in the Asteroid tracking program.
Joseph Nunn is known to have lived in Pasadena and San Marino, California.
The crater Nunn
on the Moon
is named after him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
.
In 1956 he worked in collaboration with Dr. James G. Baker
James Gilbert Baker
James Gilbert Baker was an American astronomer and designer of optics systems.-Biography:He was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Jesse B. Baker and Hattie M. Stallard, the fourth child of that couple. He attended Louisville duPont Manual High School then majored in mathematics at the University of...
to design and manufacture a series of satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
tracking camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s. These were called Baker-Nunn cameras after their designers, and consisted of a very precise tracking system combined with an unusually large, wide-field camera for photographing large areas of the sky. Joseph Nunn was responsible for designing the mechanical elements of these cameras, while Dr. Baker worked on the camera. The optics were fabricated by the Perkin-Elmer Corporation
PerkinElmer
PerkinElmer, Inc. is an American multinational technology corporation, focused in the business areas of human and environmental health, including environmental analysis, food and consumer product safety, medical imaging, drug discovery, diagnostics, biotechnology, industrial applications, and life...
, and the camera was assembled by Boller and Chivens
Boller and Chivens
Boller and Chivens was an American manufacturer of high-quality telescopes and spectrographs founded about 1946 by Harry B. Boller and Clyde C. Chivens . Headquartered in South Pasadena, California, the company was acquired in 1965 by Perkin-Elmer...
.
This camera provided tracking data on the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's Sputnik I satellite. An STP network of the 12 cameras were built by August 1958. The cameras remained in operation until the 1991, when they were decommissioned. At least one of the cameras was later refurbished for use in the Asteroid tracking program.
Joseph Nunn is known to have lived in Pasadena and San Marino, California.
The crater Nunn
Nunn (crater)
Nunn is a lunar impact crater that is located just beyond the eastern limb of the Moon, along the northern edge of Mare Smythii. To the east of this crater is the much larger Babcock, and to the northwest is Jansky....
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named after him.