| Citation | Distinguished for his contributions to Radio Astronomy. He was associated with the early investigations of galactic radio emission and in 1948 with Ryle discovered the intense Cassiopeia radio source. It was Smith's precise determination of the co-ordinates of the Cygnus radio source which justified the search with the 200 inch Palomar telescope leading to the first of the identifications of peculiar and extremely remote objects in the universe. Smith's mastery of the radio astronomical techniques subsequently enabled him to undertake a series of important researches both by ground based systems and at the low frequency end of the spectrum in the UK.2 satellite. His success in detecting radio pulses from large cosmic ray showers has recently opened an important new field of research. |