Whipple, a pioneer in astronomy, was the first to suggest that comets consisted of ice with some rock mixed in, rather than sand held together by gravity, as was widely believed. He also theorized that the glowing comet tails contained particles that originated from frozen reservoirs in comet nuclei. Whipple's theories were proven correct in 1986 by close-up photographs of Haley's comet. During World War II, Whipple invented a device used by Allied planes over Germany to confuse enemy radar. The device cut aluminum foil into thousands of fragments, giving a false impression of a much larger number of planes attacking. In 1946, in anticipation of the future of space flight, Whipple invented a thin outer skin of metal to protect spacecrafts. Meteors disintegrated when they hit the shield, known as a meteor bumper or Whipple shield, leaving only vapor to hit the spacecraft. The technology is still in use today.
-- Associated Press
Passage: Fred L. Whipple, 97
Passage: Fred L. Whipple, 97
