Hoyle, Fred (1915-2001), was a British astronomer who helped develop the theory that chemical elements heavier than helium were created inside stars. Later research confirmed the theory.
Hoyle also gained fame for developing the steady-state theory, which holds that the universe has always existed and expanded and that new matter continues to appear. He strongly opposed the theory that the universe began with an explosion billions of years ago. He sarcastically referred to the explosion as the big bang, the name by which the theory is now known. Hoyle continued to support the steady-state theory after observations in the 1960’s convinced most astronomers that the big bang theory was correct (see Universe (Changing views of the universe) ). He also believed that life on Earth came from space and that microbes fall to Earth on comets and meteoroids.
Hoyle was born on June 24, 1915, in Bingley, near Bradford, England. He attended Cambridge University, where he later became director of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy. He was knighted in 1972 and became known as Sir Fred Hoyle. Hoyle also wrote many science-fiction and nonfiction books, including two autobiographies: The Small World of Fred Hoyle (1986) and Home Is Where the Wind Blows (1994). He died on Aug. 20, 2001.
See also Big bang ; Bondi, Sir Hermann ; Cosmology .
