Topic: Richard Dunn, 77, Ex-Chief of National Solar Observatory, Dies

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Richard B. Dunn, the former director of one of the nation's major solar observatories and a pioneer in the development of optical solar telescopes, died Sept. 28 in Las Cruces, N.M. He was 77.

The cause was a heart attack, according to the National Solar Observatory in Sunspot, N.M.

Dr. Dunn began his career in 1953 at the Air Force's Sacramento Peak Observatory, as the solar observatory was then known, when he was still a graduate student working on a doctorate at Harvard. He later became its third director and remained there until he retired in 1998.

Dr. Dunn designed and developed the 356-foot-tall Vacuum Tower Telescope, which was put into service in 1969 and was named for him upon his retirement. The telescope's vacuum tube controls the internal turbulence, which can otherwise result in poor images. The tube, with its instruments attached, rotates to follow the sun during the day.

"He was one of the great instrument builders in the history of astronomy, particularly solar astronomy," said Michael Knölker, director of the High Altitude Observatory in Boulder, Colo. "His telescope set the standard for several generations of solar physicists and instrument builders."

Dr. Dunn helped design the Kitt Peak telescope and consulted on the construction of other telescopes around the world. He also worked on other projects that led to new technologies to compensate for atmospheric blurring in solar observing.

Dr. Dunn made significant contributions to solar physics as well, particularly in extending knowledge of the solar atmosphere and its magnetic field structure.

"He discovered the small-scale structures on the sun called solar filigrees," said Stephen L. Keil, the director of the National Solar Observatory. "This was an early discovery after he built the vacuum tower telescope."

He also did important work in the field of space weather, Dr. Keil said, including the development of the Solar Observing Optical Network, an Air Force network of five telescopes that watches the sun 24 hours a day, producing a continuous recording of solar activity.

Dr. Keil said Dr. Dunn had also invented odd musical instruments. "He built a contraption that when you dropped a coin in it, the coin would bounce back and forth against various chimes and play a song," Dr. Keil recalled.

Dr. Dunn is survived by his wife, Alice Dunn.