John R. Winckler

John Randolph Winckler (October 27, 1916 – February 6, 2001) was an American experimental physicist notable for his discovery of sprites in 1989[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] and other discoveries in the fields of solar, magnetospheric, auroral, and atmospheric physics.

[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17][excessive citations] He was also notable for designing new methods and apparatus to collect scientific data from high altitude flying objects such as balloons, rockets, and spacecraft.

[6] This data collection led Winckler and his staff to major discoveries, such as: discovering that high-energy electrons accompany auroras.

[6] Winckler was an advisor to NASA,[14] and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

[6]