John Wainwright Evans (May 14, 1909 – October 31, 1999) was an American solar astronomer born in New York City.
[1] He spent much of his career studying the sun and working with optics both of which earned him awards.
[3] Between 1946 and 1952 he served as assistant superintendent of the High Altitude Observatory, working in both Boulder and Climax, Colorado.
After retiring, Evans was awarded George Ellery Hale Prize of the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society in 1982,[8] and the David Richardson Medal of the Optical Society of America in 1987[9] for distinguished work in applied optics.
[10] Evans died on October 31, 1999, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the protagonist in a murder–suicide with his 89-year-old wife Betty.