Stratton, Frederick John Marrian (1881–1960)

British astronomer. Trained as a classical astronomer, he became interested in spectroscopy, especially of the Sun and of novae. His Astronomical Physics 1925 was the first modern treatment of the subject.

He was born in Birmingham and educated there and at Cambridge. The latter was his home for the rest of his life, and he was professor of astrophysics at the university 1928–47, as well as being a man of many and varied activities in Caius College and in the world at large. He was general secretary of the British Association 1930–35 and of the International Astronomical Union 1925–35. He had a distinguished career in active service during World War I and also served in World War II.