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Gérard de Vaucouleurs

December 18, 2023

Gérard Henri de Vaucouleurs (25 April 1918 – 7 October 1995)[2][3] was a French astronomer best known for his studies of galaxies.[4]

Gérard de Vaucouleurs
Born
Gérard Henri de Vaucouleurs

(1918-04-25)25 April 1918
Paris, France
Died7 October 1995(1995-10-07) (aged 77)
Austin, Texas
Nationality France
Alma materLycee Charlemagne (BSc, 1936)[1]
Sorbonne (PhD, 1949)
Known forDe Vaucouleurs's law
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1944; died 1988)​
AwardsHenry Norris Russell Lectureship (1988)
Prix Jules Janssen (1988)
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
InstitutionsYale University Observatory
Lowell Observatory
Harvard College Observatory
University of Texas at Austin

Life and career edit

Gerard de Vaucouleurs was born on April 25th, 1918 in Paris, he took the maiden name of his mother as his last name.[5] He had an early interest in amateur astronomy and received his undergraduate degree in 1939 at the Sorbonne in that city.

After military service in World War II, he resumed his pursuit of astronomy. He was married to fellow astronomer Antoinette de Vaucouleurs on October 31, 1944, and the couple would frequently collaborate on astronomical research.[6]

He was fluent in English and spent 1949-51 in England and 1951–57 in Australia at Mount Stromlo Observatory. He was at Lowell Observatory in Arizona from 1957-1958 and at Harvard from 1958-60.

In 1960 he was appointed to the University of Texas at Austin, where he spent the rest of his career. He was one of the first five faculty in the newly formed astronomy department there.[4][6]His wife Antoinette died in 1987. In 1995 he died of a heart attack in his home in Austin at the age of 77.[3] At the time of his death he had a second wife named Elysabeth.[3][5]

Research edit

His earliest work had concerned the planet Mars and while at Harvard he used telescope observations from 1909 to 1958 to study the areographic coordinates of features on the surface of Mars.[7] His later work focused on the study of galaxies and he co-authored the Third Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies with his wife Antoinette (1921-1987), a fellow UT Austin astronomer and lifelong collaborator.[6]

His specialty included reanalyzing Hubble and Sandage's galaxy atlas and recomputing the distance measurements utilizing a method of averaging many different kinds of metrics such as luminosity, the diameters of ring galaxies, brightest star clusters, etc., in a method he called "spreading the risks." During the 1950s he promoted the idea that galactic clusters are grouped into superclusters.[3]

The de Vaucouleurs modified Hubble sequence is a widely used variant of the standard Hubble sequence.

De Vaucouleurs was awarded the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship by the American Astronomical Society in 1988. He was awarded the Prix Jules Janssen of the Société astronomique de France (Astronomical Society of France) in the same year. He and his wife and longtime collaborator, Antoinette, together produced 400 research and technical papers, 20 books and 100 articles for laymen.[3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Gerard Henri de Vaucouleurs (1918 - 1995)". American Astronomical Society. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  2. ^ Burbidge, E. Margaret (2002). "GÉRARD DE VAUCOULEURS 1918–1995" (PDF). Biographical Memoirs. National Academy of Sciences. 82 – via National Academy of Sciences Online.
  3. ^ a b c d e Thomas Jr., Robert McG. (October 11, 1995), "Gerard de Vaucouleurs, 77, Galactic Astronomer, Is Dead", The New York Times, retrieved 2012-02-21
  4. ^ a b "Gerard de Vaucouleurs | McDonald Observatory". mcdonaldobservatory.org. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  5. ^ a b Burbidge, Geoffrey (30 November 1995). "Gérard de Vaucouleurs (1918-95)" (PDF). Nature. 378 (6556): 440. Bibcode:1995Natur.378..440B. doi:10.1038/378440a0. S2CID 46470185.
  6. ^ a b c "In Memoriam: Antoinette de Vaucouleurs, 1921-1987". The University of Texas at Austin. October 13, 2008.
  7. ^ de Vaucouleurs, Gerard (1963). "Precision Mapping of Mars". La Physique des Planetes; Communications Presentees au Onzieme Colloque International d'Astrophysique tenu a Liège, les 9, 10 et 11 Juillet 1962. Vol. 11. pp. 369–385. Bibcode:1963LIACo..11..369D. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)

Further reading edit

  • Lahav O; Naim A; Buta RJ; et al. (1995), "Galaxies, Human Eyes, and Artificial Neural Networks", Science, 267 (5199): 859–62, arXiv:astro-ph/9412027, Bibcode:1995Sci...267..859L, doi:10.1126/science.267.5199.859, PMID 17813914, S2CID 43370373
  • de Vaucouleurs, G (1993), "Tests of the long and short extragalactic distance scales", PNAS, 90 (11): 4811–4813, Bibcode:1993PNAS...90.4811V, doi:10.1073/pnas.90.11.4811, PMC 46605, PMID 11607392
  • Masursky H; Batson RM; McCauley JF; et al. (1972), "Mariner 9 Television Reconnaissance of Mars and Its Satellites: Preliminary Results", Science, 175 (4019): 294–305, Bibcode:1972Sci...175..294M, doi:10.1126/science.175.4019.294, PMID 17814535, S2CID 24829001
  • de Vaucouleurs, G; Wertz, JR (1971), "Hierarchical big bang cosmology", Nature, 231 (5298): 109, Bibcode:1971Natur.231..109D, doi:10.1038/231109a0, PMID 16062575, S2CID 4295040
  • de Vaucouleurs, G (1970), "Postscript", Science, 168 (3934): 917, doi:10.1126/science.168.3934.917-a, PMID 17844177
  • de Vaucouleurs, G (1970), "The Case for a Hierarchical Cosmology", Science, vol. 167, no. 3922, pp. 1203–1213, Bibcode:1970Sci...167.1203D, doi:10.1126/science.167.3922.1203, PMID 17751407

External links edit

  • Oral history interview transcript with Gérard de Vaucouleurs on 7 November 1988, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
  • Oral history interview transcript with Gérard de Vaucouleurs on 20 November 1991, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
  • Oral history interview transcript with Gérard de Vaucouleurs on 23 November 1991, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives

Other resources edit

December 18, 2023
gérard, vaucouleurs, gérard, henri, vaucouleurs, april, 1918, october, 1995, french, astronomer, best, known, studies, galaxies, borngérard, henri, vaucouleurs, 1918, april, 1918paris, francedied7, october, 1995, 1995, aged, austin, texasnationality, francealm. Gerard Henri de Vaucouleurs 25 April 1918 7 October 1995 2 3 was a French astronomer best known for his studies of galaxies 4 Gerard de VaucouleursBornGerard Henri de Vaucouleurs 1918 04 25 25 April 1918Paris FranceDied7 October 1995 1995 10 07 aged 77 Austin TexasNationality FranceAlma materLycee Charlemagne BSc 1936 1 Sorbonne PhD 1949 Known forDe Vaucouleurs s lawSpouseAntoinette de Vaucouleurs m 1944 died 1988 wbr AwardsHenry Norris Russell Lectureship 1988 Prix Jules Janssen 1988 Scientific careerFieldsAstronomyInstitutionsYale University ObservatoryLowell ObservatoryHarvard College ObservatoryUniversity of Texas at Austin Contents 1 Life and career 2 Research 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links 6 1 Other resourcesLife and career editGerard de Vaucouleurs was born on April 25th 1918 in Paris he took the maiden name of his mother as his last name 5 He had an early interest in amateur astronomy and received his undergraduate degree in 1939 at the Sorbonne in that city After military service in World War II he resumed his pursuit of astronomy He was married to fellow astronomer Antoinette de Vaucouleurs on October 31 1944 and the couple would frequently collaborate on astronomical research 6 He was fluent in English and spent 1949 51 in England and 1951 57 in Australia at Mount Stromlo Observatory He was at Lowell Observatory in Arizona from 1957 1958 and at Harvard from 1958 60 In 1960 he was appointed to the University of Texas at Austin where he spent the rest of his career He was one of the first five faculty in the newly formed astronomy department there 4 6 His wife Antoinette died in 1987 In 1995 he died of a heart attack in his home in Austin at the age of 77 3 At the time of his death he had a second wife named Elysabeth 3 5 Research editHis earliest work had concerned the planet Mars and while at Harvard he used telescope observations from 1909 to 1958 to study the areographic coordinates of features on the surface of Mars 7 His later work focused on the study of galaxies and he co authored the Third Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies with his wife Antoinette 1921 1987 a fellow UT Austin astronomer and lifelong collaborator 6 His specialty included reanalyzing Hubble and Sandage s galaxy atlas and recomputing the distance measurements utilizing a method of averaging many different kinds of metrics such as luminosity the diameters of ring galaxies brightest star clusters etc in a method he called spreading the risks During the 1950s he promoted the idea that galactic clusters are grouped into superclusters 3 The de Vaucouleurs modified Hubble sequence is a widely used variant of the standard Hubble sequence De Vaucouleurs was awarded the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship by the American Astronomical Society in 1988 He was awarded the Prix Jules Janssen of the Societe astronomique de France Astronomical Society of France in the same year He and his wife and longtime collaborator Antoinette together produced 400 research and technical papers 20 books and 100 articles for laymen 3 See also editDe Vaucouleurs s law Edwin Hubble Galaxy color magnitude diagram William Wilson Morgan Julien PeridierReferences edit Gerard Henri de Vaucouleurs 1918 1995 American Astronomical Society Retrieved 29 June 2017 Burbidge E Margaret 2002 GERARD DE VAUCOULEURS 1918 1995 PDF Biographical Memoirs National Academy of Sciences 82 via National Academy of Sciences Online a b c d e Thomas Jr Robert McG October 11 1995 Gerard de Vaucouleurs 77 Galactic Astronomer Is Dead The New York Times retrieved 2012 02 21 a b Gerard de Vaucouleurs McDonald Observatory mcdonaldobservatory org Retrieved 2023 06 17 a b Burbidge Geoffrey 30 November 1995 Gerard de Vaucouleurs 1918 95 PDF Nature 378 6556 440 Bibcode 1995Natur 378 440B doi 10 1038 378440a0 S2CID 46470185 a b c In Memoriam Antoinette de Vaucouleurs 1921 1987 The University of Texas at Austin October 13 2008 de Vaucouleurs Gerard 1963 Precision Mapping of Mars La Physique des Planetes Communications Presentees au Onzieme Colloque International d Astrophysique tenu a Liege les 9 10 et 11 Juillet 1962 Vol 11 pp 369 385 Bibcode 1963LIACo 11 369D a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a journal ignored help Further reading editLahav O Naim A Buta RJ et al 1995 Galaxies Human Eyes and Artificial Neural Networks Science 267 5199 859 62 arXiv astro ph 9412027 Bibcode 1995Sci 267 859L doi 10 1126 science 267 5199 859 PMID 17813914 S2CID 43370373 de Vaucouleurs G 1993 Tests of the long and short extragalactic distance scales PNAS 90 11 4811 4813 Bibcode 1993PNAS 90 4811V doi 10 1073 pnas 90 11 4811 PMC 46605 PMID 11607392 Masursky H Batson RM McCauley JF et al 1972 Mariner 9 Television Reconnaissance of Mars and Its Satellites Preliminary Results Science 175 4019 294 305 Bibcode 1972Sci 175 294M doi 10 1126 science 175 4019 294 PMID 17814535 S2CID 24829001 de Vaucouleurs G Wertz JR 1971 Hierarchical big bang cosmology Nature 231 5298 109 Bibcode 1971Natur 231 109D doi 10 1038 231109a0 PMID 16062575 S2CID 4295040 de Vaucouleurs G 1970 Postscript Science 168 3934 917 doi 10 1126 science 168 3934 917 a PMID 17844177 de Vaucouleurs G 1970 The Case for a Hierarchical Cosmology Science vol 167 no 3922 pp 1203 1213 Bibcode 1970Sci 167 1203D doi 10 1126 science 167 3922 1203 PMID 17751407External links editOral history interview transcript with Gerard de Vaucouleurs on 7 November 1988 American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library amp ArchivesOral history interview transcript with Gerard de Vaucouleurs on 20 November 1991 American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library amp Archives Oral history interview transcript with Gerard de Vaucouleurs on 23 November 1991 American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library amp ArchivesObituary Gerard Henri De Vaucouleurs 1918 1995 Biography http nedwww ipac caltech edu level5 normal galaxies html E Margaret Burbidge Gerard de Vaucouleurs Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences 2002 Other resources edit Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gerard de Vaucouleurs amp oldid 1167057195, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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