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Astronomers

Scientists who study the universe beyond Earth, from the planets and moons of the solar system to the birth and fate of the universe.

Resources

Astronomers and Observatories June 10, 2010

Radio Programs

Milton Humason An unusual path to astronomy August 19, 2016

Rudolf Wolf A cycle of storms on the Sun July 7, 2016

Herbert Friedman Watching the Sun with a “rockoon” June 21, 2016

Hydrogen Discovering 'inflammable air'... May 28, 2016

The Great War, V American astronomers in World War I May 13, 2016

The Great War, IV War changes an astronomer’s destiny May 12, 2016

Volunteer Astronomers Astronomers get some helping hands April 27, 2016

John Dobson Bringing telescopes to the masses September 13, 2015

First Professor Ready for the first day of class September 1, 2015

More Charles Townes Shining a new light on the universe July 28, 2015

Charles Townes Dreaming up a laser beam July 27, 2015

More Fred Hoyle Scientist, writer, contrarian June 24, 2015

Fred Hoyle Unlocking the secrets of the stars June 23, 2015

Johannes Hartmann Filling the space between the stars January 10, 2015

Eris Reflections on a bright dwarf planet January 5, 2015

Robert Aitken An astronomer who saw double December 30, 2014

Edwin Hubble A memento of a college basketball star November 19, 2014

Daniel Kirkwood Explaining bands of nothing September 25, 2014

John Goodricke Solving the mystery of a demon star September 16, 2014

World War II, Part III Science and service in World War II September 3, 2014

Cat’s Eye Nebula The true nature of a glowing cat’s eye August 28, 2014

Anders Angstrom Scanning the “barcode” of the Sun August 12, 2014

Lyman Spitzer II A bold idea for exploring the universe June 25, 2014

Lyman Spitzer Probing matter between the stars June 24, 2014

Messier 3 Tracking down false comets May 27, 2014

McDonald at 75, IV Probing the mysteries of the stars May 7, 2014

McDonald at 75, III Collaboration in the name of science May 6, 2014

Yakov Zel’dovich From exploding bombs to exploding stars March 7, 2014

Annie Jump Cannon II Classifying the stars December 10, 2013

Annie Jump Cannon A rare astronomical opportunity December 9, 2013

Pickering’s Harem Pioneering at 25 cents an hour December 8, 2013

William Herschel III Dangerous nights at the telescope November 15, 2013

William Herschel II Making up for lost time November 14, 2013

William Herschel A musical intro for a noted astronomer November 13, 2013

A New Start An observatory gets a new start September 2, 2013

Bernard Lovell Pioneering a new way to see the universe August 28, 2013

Delphinus Sneaking into astronomical history July 7, 2013

Maximilian Wolf Snapping pictures of the night sky June 21, 2013

Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Mapping southern skies May 14, 2013

File Cabinet Leafing through a starry filing cabinet May 5, 2013

Quasars The long-range secret of odd “stars” February 4, 2013

Eclipse Watcher Risking life and limb for a solar eclipse August 18, 2012

Cloudy Skies A cruel twist of nature August 17, 2012

Tuttle Comets War, embezzlement, and comets July 16, 2012

Swift Comets From hardware-store owner to cosmic celebrity July 15, 2012

Johann Galle Taking note of a new planet June 8, 2012

Clockwork Eclipses Ticking off the hours until a solar eclipse May 16, 2012

Balloon Ride Taking a balloon ride for science April 6, 2012

Harvey Nininger II Buying space rocks for a dollar a pound January 16, 2012

Harvey Nininger A burning passion for space rocks January 15, 2012

Jean-Louis Pons The champion of all comet hunters December 22, 2011

Grote Reber A new way to study the universe December 21, 2011

Mikhail Lomonosov The man who discovered an atmosphere November 18, 2011

Robert Trumpler Filling the space between the stars October 1, 2011

Thomas Wright Giving birth to a galaxy September 20, 2011

Star Organizer Getting the stars organized August 14, 2011

Star Travels A fanciful design for a starship July 23, 2011

Van Biesbroeck's Star Hunting up a faint cosmic bulb July 15, 2011

Transit of 1761, Part IV A ring of fire around a planet June 8, 2011

Transit of 1761, Part III Ducking cannonfire in the name of science June 7, 2011

Transit of 1761, Part II Dodging cannonfire in the name of science June 6, 2011

Urbain Leverrier A "calculated" planetary discovery... March 10, 2011

Clockwork Skies Plotting the motions of the sky February 15, 2011

Johannes Hevelius Filling in some gaps in the sky January 28, 2011

Featured Images

Double Dribble November 20, 2014
Otto Struve, first director of McDonald Observatory

First Director May 8, 2014
Autographs from the dedication of McDonald Observatory

Who's Who May 7, 2014
Annie Jump Cannon

Astronomical Pioneer December 10, 2013
Female "computers" at Harvard College Observatory

Data Processing Center December 9, 2013
The life and times of William Herschel

Stellar Musician November 14, 2013
Solar eclipse of August 19, 1887, from near Berlin

Fire in the Sky August 18, 2012
False-color view of Comet Swift-Tuttle, 1992

Swift Comet July 16, 2012