Balfour Stewart | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1 November 1828 |
| Died | 19 December 1887 (aged 59) Ballymagarvey, Balrath, County Meath, Ireland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Citizenship | British |
| Alma mater | University of St. Andrews University of Edinburgh |
| Known for | Heat, Meteorology, & Terrestrial Magnetism |
| Awards | Rumford Medal (1868) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Kew Observatory, Owens College, Manchester |
| Doctoral advisor | James David Forbes |
Balfour Stewart (1 November 1828 – 19 December 1887) was a Scottish physicist and meteorologist.
His studies in the field of radiant heat led to him receiving the Rumford Medal of the Royal Society in 1868. In 1859 he was appointed director of Kew Observatory. He was elected professor of physics at Owens College, Manchester, and retained that chair until his death, which happened near Drogheda, in Ireland, on 19 December 1887. He was the author of several successful science textbooks, and also of the article on "Terrestrial Magnetism" in the ninth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.