Balfour Stewart
Balfour Stewart | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 November 1828 |
| Died | 19 December 1887 (aged 59) Ballymagarvey, Balrath, County Meath, Ireland |
| Citizenship | British |
| Alma mater | University of St. Andrews, University of Edinburgh |
| Known for | |
| Awards | Rumford Medal (1868) |
| Scientific career | |
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| Institutions |
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| Doctoral advisor | James David Forbes |
| Other academic advisors | James David Forbes |
| Notable students | J. J. Thomson |
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 was the first holder of the prestigious Langworthy chair that he retained until his death 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.