Newcastle University

Sir Arnold Wolfendale has published on a range of topics including Cosmic rays and their origin, gamma rays, solar and geomagnetic variation and cosmology. As Astronomer Royal, a post he held from 1991 - 95, he worked on promoting astronomy and campaigning for better funding for all the sciences. Sir Arnold will be giving a lecture on the Origins of the Universe.

Wolfendale graduated from the University of Manchester, in Physics, in 1948. He stayed on at Manchester as assistant lecturer and later full lecturer at the same time completing his PhD which he did in 1953. In 1956 he then moved to the University of Durham where he was to spend most of his working life. Also in 1956 he began work with the Home Office, an association that would continue until 1984, working originally on Civil Defence and later as a Scientific adviser.

He remained at Durham until 1989, as Head of Department from 1973 and in that time published on a range of topics including Cosmic rays and their origin, gamma rays, solar and geomagnetic variation and cosmology. As Astronomer Royal, a post he held from 1991 - 95, he worked on promoting astronomy and campaigning for better funding for all the sciences.