Articles Index

Dr. Beth A. Brown Biography
Dr. Beth A. Brown Biography - NASA Astrophysicist. Dr. Beth A. Brown grew up in Roanoke, VA with her parents, younger brother, and older cousin. In elementary school and junior high, she participated in science fairs working on projects that had nothing to do with astronomy. She liked science because she was always curious about how something worked and why something existed. Space fascinated her. She grew up watching Star Trek, Star Wars, and other shows/movies aboutspace.

James A. Van Allen Biography
James A. Van Allen (1914-2006) was a pathbreaking astrophysicist best known for his work in magnetospheric physics. James A. Van Allen retired from the University of Iowa in 1985 to become Carver Professor of Physics, Emeritus, after having served as the head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1951. He died of heart failure at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City on August 9, 2006.

Leonard Digges
Leonard Digges was born in 1520 at Digges Court, in the parish of Barham, in Kent, UK. Leonard Digges invented the telescope, both refracting and reflecting. Leonard Digges was the father of father of Thomas Digges, the famous English astronomer. Leonard Digges wrote The General Prognostication.

Jacques Cassini
Jacques Cassini was born in Paris on February 8, 1677. Jacques Cassini continued his surveying work, taking on the project to measure the Paris meridian north to Dunkerque in 1718. In his work with astronomy, JacquesCassini was well published especially in the journals of the Académie des Sciences as well as writing two major treatises. Jacques Cassini is especially known for study of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn and his study of the structure of Saturn's rings.

Doctor Harvey Washington Banks
Harvey Washington Banks was born on February 7, 1923, in Atlantic City, NJ to Nettie Lee Jackson and Harvey Banks, Sr. At a very young age, he moved to Washington, DC, where he later attended Dunbar High School. In 1961 he became the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in astronomy.

Edwin Hubble Biography
Edwin Powell Hubble was born in the small town of Marshfield, MO on November 29th, 1889 to John Powell Hubble, an insurance executive, and his wife, Virginia James Powell. Edwin Hubble played a key role in establishing just what galaxies are by showing that some spiral nebulae were actually entire galaxies—much like our own Milky Way. Edwin Hubble determined that the farther a galaxy is from Earth, the faster it appears to move away. This the basis for Hubble's Law.

Govindasvami Biography
Govindasvami was an Indian mathematical astronomer who was born about 800 AD. Unfortunately, not enough is known about his life. His most famous treatise was a commentary on the Mahabhaskariya of Bhaskara I. The Mahabhaskariya was written in about 600 AD and is an eight chapter work on Indian mathematical astronomy. Govindasvami was about 30 when he wrote the Bhasya. Mathemeticians find Govindasvami's commentary interesting.

Albert Einstein Biography
Hermann Einstein, a featherbed salesman who later ran an electrochemical works and Pauline Koch were married in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany. Their son, Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany. Six weeks after Albert's birth, the family moved to Munich. Albert Einstein died on April 18, 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey. He was cremated at Trenton, New Jersey at 4 pm that same day and his ashes were scattered at an undisclosed place.

James Webb Space Telescope Project Scientist Wins Nobel Prize for Physics
John C. Mather, a senior astrophysicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and senior project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), has won the 2006 Nobel Physics Prize. awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Mather shares the prize with George F. Smoot of the University of California for their collaborative work on understanding the Big Bang.

Comet Hunter Yuji Hyakutake Dies
Amateur Astronomer, Comet hunter, Yuji Hyakutake dies at age 51. This star gazer will be greatly missed in the amateur astronomy community. Thoughts will turn to him when the comet bearing his name returns.

Autolycus of Pitane Biography
Autolycus of Pitane is a bit hard to pin down. Using various sources and references, we can guess that he was born about 360 BC in Pitane, Aeolis, Asia Minor (now Turkey). Little is known about his life, but Euclid references some of his work and Autolycus of Pitane taught Arcesilaus. Autolycus of Pitane died about 290 BC.

Aristotle Biography
Aristotle was born around 384 BC in Stagirus, Greece. Around the age of 17, Aristotle became a student at Plato's Academy in Athens. Aristotle was so impressive as a student that he soon became a teacher, himself, remaining at the academy for 20 years. In 335 BC Aristotle traveled to Athens with his circle of assistants to staff his new school, the Lyceum. Two areas which he advanced, which are of particular interest to readers of this site were physics and astronomy. He died at the age of 62.

Pythagoras of Samos Biography
Pythagoras, the son of Mnesarchus and Pythais, was born on the island of Samos, off the coast of Asia Minor (what is now mostly Turkey), about 569 BC. Besides his contributions to mathematics, Pythagoras was essential to the early field of astronomy. As Plato later would believe, Pythagoras felt the sphere was the perfect shape. This may have lead to his assertion that the Earth was a sphere. He realized the orbit of the Moon was inclined to the equator of the Earth.

Pythagoras of Samos Quotations
Pythagoras, the son of Mnesarchus and Pythais, was born on the island of Samos, off the coast of Asia Minor (what is now mostly Turkey), about 569 BC. Besides his contributions to mathematics, Pythagoras was essential to the early field of astronomy. As Plato later would believe, Pythagoras felt the sphere was the perfect shape. This may have lead to his assertion that the Earth was a sphere. He realized the orbit of the Moon was inclined to the equator of the Earth.

William Herschel Biography
Sir Wilhelm Friedrich Herschel (November 15, 1738 Hanover - August 25, 1822 Windsor) was a German-born astronomer and composer who became famous for discovering the planet Uranus, and made many other astronomical discoveries. Also known as William Herschel, one of the greatest astronomers that has ever lived.

Sir Isaac Newton Quotations
Quotations from and about Sir Isaac Newton, the man who developed the laws of universal gravitation.

Thales of Miletus
The Greek philosopher, Thales of Miletus was born around 624BC, the son of Examyes and Cleobuline. While some believe his lineage was Phoenician, most consider him to be Milesian (Miletus, Asia Minor, now Turkey). He came from a distinguished family. It is difficult to write about Thales of Miletus, since none of his own writing survives. Thales of Miletus was an engineer, scientist, mathematician, and philosopher, the first natural philosopher in the Milesian School.

Anaxagoras of Clazomenae Biography
Anaxagoras of Clazomenae was an Ionian, born in Clazomenae, Lydia (now Turkey) in 499 BC to a wealthy family. Few details of his early life are know, except that he lived much of it in Ionia where he gave up his material possessions to devote his life to science. Anaxagoras died in Lampsacus, Mysia (now Turkey) 428 BC. The anniversary of his death became a holiday for schoolchildren.

Hipparchus of Rhodes Biography
Hipparchus of Rhodes was born around 190 BC in Nicaea, Bithynia (now known as now Iznik,Turkey). Hipparchus divided a circle into 360 degrees was the inventor of trigonometry. Hipparchus calculated the length of the year to within 6 1/2 minutes and discovered the precession of equinoxes. His star catalogue included around 850 stars. He also made a careful study of the motions of the moon. He died around 120 BC most likely in Rhodes, Greece.

The Life of Nicolaus Copernicus
Biography of Nicolaus Copernicus - Disputer of the Ptolemaic System, Creator of the Copernican System. Learn more about Nicolaus Copernicus.

Aristarchus of Samos Biography
Aristarchus of Samos was a Greek astronomer and mathematician who lived from approximately 310BC through approximately 250BC. Although Aristarchus was occasionally written about by early scientists and philosophers, especially Archimedes, very little is known about his life. Aristarchus was a student of Strato of Lampsacus, head of Aristotle's Lyceum. These studies apparently did not take place in Athens, but rather during the time when Strato was head of the Lyceum at Alexandria.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson Biography
Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson Biography. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and Visiting Research Scientist and Lecturer at Princeton University.

Dr. Arthur Bertram Cuthbert Walker II Biography
Arthur Bertram Cuthbert Walker II was born an only child in Cleveland on Aug. 24, 1936. Dr. Walker served on or chaired a number of NASA, National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Academy of Science (NAS) Committees. He chaired the Advanced Solar Observatory Science Working Group for NASA, and the Astronomy Advisory Committee of the NSF. Dr. Walker died April 29, 2001 at his home on campus after a long battle with cancer.

Benjamin Banneker Biography
Benjamin Banneker was an African-American astronomer, clockmaker, & publisher who was instrumental in surveying the District of Columbia. Banneker taught himself astronomy & advanced mathematics. He turned his attention to both subjects. His study of astronomy enabled him to make the calculations to predict solar & lunar eclipses, even correctly contradicting experts of the day, & to compile an ephemeris for his Benjamin Banneker's Almanac. He became known as the Sable Astronomer.

Williamina Fleming Biography
Williamina Paton Stevens was born on May 15, 1857 in Dundee, Scotland, to Robert Stevens and Mary Walker Stevens. She attended public schools in Dundee until the age of 14, then taught as a pupil-teacher until her marriage to James Fleming in 1877. Soon after, she was appointed honorary fellow in astronomy of Wellesley College. Shortly before her death, the Astronomical Society of Mexico awarded her the Guadalupe Almendaro medal for her discovery of new stars.

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