with colored pieces of glass: clear,
red, blue, green, yellow and gray,
any of which could be placed over
the eyepiece. But no one seemed
to know how to use the colored
filters, and he would appreciate any
pamphlet or advice about their use.
Fortunately, I knew the answer and
told him I would write a pamphlet
and that it would contain only one
sentence: ‘Under no circumstances
use any of the colored filters!’ It is
strange what positive, indeed, often
violent views one encounters in the
matter of colored or tinted glasses
or goggles. In the end we desisted
from argument and found the
perfect answer to questions on the
subject: ‘Wear any kind of goggles
you please, but at any time you
wish to see better, take them off.’”
Wikimedia Commons NRL scientists recover instruments from a V- 2 used for upper atmospheric research above the New Mexico desert.
last of a remarkable generation of scientists who participated in the discovery
of the ionosphere and developed much
of our earliest understanding of solar-terrestrial relationships. t
Hulburt retired from his position as
NRL director of research in 1955 after
31 years of service. He was given the
title of senior scientist for the United
States National Committee on the International Geophysical Year on 1 January
1956. Hulburt continued his studies
of the ionosphere until his death on
11 October 1982—one day shy of his
92nd birthday. Hulburt was perhaps the
John N. Howard ( johnnelsonhoward@gmail.com)
is the founding editor of Applied Optics and retired
chief scientist of the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory.
Prototype
