Submitted by Matthew Bothwell on Sat, 12/07/2025 - 09:31
We are saddened to report the passing of Cyril Hazard (18 March 1928 – 14 June 2025). Cyril was a pioneering radio astronomer whose work on quasars helped transform our understanding of the Universe.
Cyril began his career at Jodrell Bank and went on to work across three continents -- including positions at Cambridge (from 1966-1980, then 1981-1989), the University of Sydney, Cornell, and Pittsburgh before settling in Cambridge in his later years. He retained a long-standing affiliation with the Institute of Astronomy as a visiting researcher.
It was in the 1960s that Cyril made his most celebrated contribution: using lunar occultation timing to precisely pinpoint the location of the mysterious radio source 3C273. This critical observation allowed Maarten Schmidt to identify the object in question as the first known quasar hosting a supermassive black hole at the then unimaginable redshift of 0.16.
Cyril's innovative method of using the Moon to measure radio positions with unprecedented accuracy revolutionised astronomy, opening the door to the discovery of many more quasars and laying the foundations for decades of research into active galactic nuclei. His legacy endures not only in the scientific advancements his work made possible, but also in the many astronomers he inspired throughout his career.
Cyril in his office in the Hoyle building, 1981.