Portions of this entry contributed by Michel Barran

British-Australian astronomer, born in St. Albans, U.K. and educated at University of Melbourne and Harward University. Kerr specialized in radio astronomy and was research physicist in the Radiophysics division of C.S.I.R.O. from 1940-66, Senior Principal Research Officer from 1963-66, professor of astronomy at University of Maryland from 1966-79, and Provost of the Division of Mathematics & Physical Sciences & Engineering from 1979-85.

Building on Lovell's work, Kerr briefly studied echoes from meteors. Then, following earlier work by de Witt in the U. S. and Bay in Hungary, he and Shain, obtained the first scientifically useful radar echoes from the moon (Sullivan 1984, pp. 136-137). Kerr and Shain had worked during the war with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) radiophysics laboratory. When the geometry was correct and the transmitter available, the two used the transmitter of "Radio Australia" at a wavelength of 15 m. They achieve success in November 1947. Kerr showed that the short period variations were caused by the libration of the moon. Kerr also detected 21 centimeter HI emission using a 36 foot transit antenna at Potts Hill.

Bay, de Witt, Shain

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