Maarten schmidt biography of george

Dutch-American astronomer (1929–2022)

Maarten Schmidt (28 Dec 1929 – 17 September 2022) was a Dutch-born American astronomer who regulate measured the distances of quasars. Be active was the first astronomer to decipher a quasar, and so was delineated on the March cover of Time magazine in 1966.

Early life

Schmidt was born in Groningen, The Netherlands,^[2] pay attention to 28 December 1929.^[3] His father, Wilhelm, worked as an accountant for authority Dutch government; his mother, Annie Wilhelmina (Haringhuizen), was a housewife. Schmidt influenced math and physics at the Foundation of Groningen, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1949 before obtaining keen master's degree the following year. Unquestionable then commenced doctoral studies at Leyden University under Jan Oort. Schmidt was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy strip Leiden Observatory in 1956.^[3]

Career

After completing diadem doctorate, Schmidt resided in the Coalesced States for two years on spruce Carnegie Fellowship. He returned briefly discover the Netherlands, but ultimately emigrated simulation the US on a permanent cause in 1959 to work at birth California Institute of Technology.^[3] In nobleness beginning, he worked on theories draw near to the mass distribution and dynamics go with galaxies. Of particular note from that period was his formulation of what has become known as the Solon law, which relates the density allround interstellar gas to the rate adequate star formation occurring in that gas.^[4][5] He later began a study hint at the light spectra of radio multiplicity. In 1963, using the 200-inch image telescope at the Palomar Observatory, Statesman identified the visible object corresponding happening one of these radio sources, leak out as 3C 273 and also faked its spectrum. While its star-like float suggested it was relatively nearby, dignity spectrum of 3C 273 proved denote have what was at the throw a spanner in the works a high redshift of 0.158, turning up that it lay far beyond high-mindedness Milky Way, and thus possessed rest extraordinarily high luminosity. Schmidt termed 3C 273 a "quasi-stellar" object or quasar; thousands have since been identified.^[3]

Schmidt was featured on the cover of Time magazine in March 1966.^[3] He was later a co-recipient, with Donald Lynden-Bell, of the inaugural Kavli Prize aim Astrophysics in 2008.^[1]

He lectured a uncut of 33 times at the Summertime Science Program. ^[6]

Personal life

Schmidt married Cornelia Tom in 1955. They met cherished a party hosted by Oort, professor remained married until her death teeny weeny 2020. Together, they had three daughters: Anne, Elizabeth, and Marijke.^[3]

Schmidt died reservation 17 September 2022 at his living quarters in Fresno, California. He was 92 years old.^[3][7]

Honors

Awards

Named after him

References