Martin Ryle
English radio astronomer
Cite this page
“Martin Ryle.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/martin-ryle/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.
Martin Ryle. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 2, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/martin-ryle/
“Martin Ryle.” thisDay. Accessed October 2, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/martin-ryle/.
Who was Martin Ryle?
Sir Martin Ryle (27 September 1918 – 14 October 1984) was an English radio astronomer who developed revolutionary radio telescope systems (see e.g. aperture synthesis) and used them for accurate location and imaging of weak radio sources. He was the first Professor of Radio Astronomy in the University of Cambridge and founding director of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory. Martin Ryle was born in Brighton, England, the son of Professor John Alfred Ryle and Miriam (née Scully) Ryle. With improved equipment, Ryle observed the most distant known galaxies in the universe at that time. He was the twelfth Astronomer Royal from 1972 to 1982. In the 1970s, Ryle turned the greater part of his attention from astronomy to social and political issues which he considered to be more urgent. He was also an enthusiastic amateur radio operator (callsign G3CY). He was also an enthusiastic amateur radio operator.
Historical significance
In 1946 Ryle and Derek Vonberg were the first people to publish interferometric astronomical measurements at radio wavelengths. Ryle and Antony Hewish shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1974, the first Nobel prize awarded in recognition of astronomical research.
Cite this page
“Martin Ryle.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/martin-ryle/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.
Martin Ryle. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 2, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/martin-ryle/
“Martin Ryle.” thisDay. Accessed October 2, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/martin-ryle/.