Jansky, << JAN skee, >> Karl Guthe (1905-1950), an American engineer, was the first person to detect radio waves whose source was outside the solar system. His discovery led to the development of radio astronomy, a branch of astronomy that studies radio waves given off by objects in space. See Telescope (Radio and microwave telescopes) .
Jansky began his research in 1931. While investigating static interference in transatlantic radio messages, he heard static he could not identify. After extensive study, Jansky determined that the static came from outside the solar system, in the constellation Sagittarius. He reported his findings in 1932 and 1933. Jansky’s discovery marked a great advance in astronomy. Today, scientists use radio waves to observe objects in space that cannot be seen with optical telescopes.
Jansky was born on Oct. 22, 1905, in Norman, Oklahoma. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin. Jansky died on Feb. 14, 1950. In 2012, the Very Large Array (VLA), one of the largest radio telescopes in the world, was renamed the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in his honor.
