Ralph Belknap Baldwin

Ralph Belknap Baldwin
Baldwin being interviewed in 1998
Born(1912-06-06)June 6, 1912
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
DiedOctober 23, 2010(2010-10-23) (aged 98)
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Michigan
Known forShowed that lunar craters were the result of impacts, not volcanic in origin. Two of his books were highly influential and helped establish lunar timescales.
AwardsArmy Chief of Ordnance Award (1945)
G.K. Gilbert Award (1986)
J. Lawrence Smith Medal (1979)
Leonard Medal (1986)
Barringer Medal (2000)
Scientific career
FieldsLunar science
Manufacturing
InstitutionsJohns Hopkins University
Oliver Machinery Company

Ralph Belknap Baldwin (June 6, 1912 – October 23, 2010)[1] was an American planetary scientist known for his work on lunar craters, beginning in the late 1940s.[2] His book, The Face of the Moon[3] made the case for the impact nature of lunar craters.[4] He published The Measure of the Moon in 1963.[5]

Prior to his lunar work he was Senior Physicist at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory during World War II working on the proximity fuze.[2] In 1947 he began working for Oliver Machinery Company. In 1970 he became president of the company and chairman of the board in 1982. He retired in 1984.[6] He died on October 23, 2010.[2]

  1. ^ Who's Who in America [Marquis]. 56th edition, 2002. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who's Who, 2001.
  2. ^ a b c "Ralph Baldwin Obituary: View Ralph Baldwin's Obituary by Grand Rapids Press". Obits.mlive.com. 1912-06-06. Retrieved 2014-03-09.
  3. ^ Baldwin, Ralph Belknap. 1949. The Face of the Moon. [Chicago]: Univ. of Chicago Press
  4. ^ "the-moon - Baldwin". The-moon.wikispaces.com. 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2014-03-09.
  5. ^ Baldwin, Ralph Belknap. 1963. The Measure of the Moon. [Chicago]: Univ. of Chicago Press. 508pp. ISBN 978-0226036069
  6. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2010-11-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)