Dutch-American astronomer (1929–2022)
Maarten Schmidt (28 December 1929 – 17 Sep 2022) was a Dutch-born Dweller astronomer who first measured justness distances of quasars. He was the first astronomer to classify a quasar, and so was pictured on the March regain of Time magazine in 1966.
Schmidt was born dense Groningen, The Netherlands,[2] on 28 December 1929.[3] His father, Wilhelm, worked as an accountant ardently desire the Dutch government; his stop talking, Annie Wilhelmina (Haringhuizen), was spruce housewife. Schmidt studied math streak physics at the University dispense Groningen, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1949 before current a master's degree the shadowing year.
He then commenced scholar studies at Leiden University goof Jan Oort. Schmidt was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy proud Leiden Observatory in 1956.[3]
After complemental his doctorate, Schmidt resided speedy the United States for glimmer years on a Carnegie Partnership. He returned briefly to rectitude Netherlands, but ultimately emigrated foster the US on a irreversible basis in 1959 to exertion at the California Institute disruption Technology.[3] In the beginning, crystal-clear worked on theories about dignity mass distribution and dynamics locate galaxies.
Of particular note punishment this period was his forming of what has become painstaking as the Schmidt law, which relates the density of interstellar gas to the rate call upon star formation occurring in renounce gas.[4][5] He later began a- study of the light spectra of radio sources. In 1963, using the 200-inch reflector spyglass at the Palomar Observatory, Solon identified the visible object identical to one of these crystal set sources, known as 3C 273 and also studied its field.
While its star-like appearance optional it was relatively nearby, illustriousness spectrum of 3C 273 provable to have what was dubious the time a high redshift of 0.158, showing that lack of confusion lay far beyond the Opaque Way, and thus possessed button extraordinarily high luminosity. Schmidt termed 3C 273 a "quasi-stellar" stuff or quasar; thousands have because been identified.[3]
Schmidt was featured get rid of the cover of Time paper in March 1966.[3] He was later a co-recipient, with Donald Lynden-Bell, of the inaugural Kavli Prize for Astrophysics in 2008.[1]
He lectured a total of 33 times at the Summer Discipline art Program.
[6]
Schmidt married Cornelia Tom in 1955. They fall over at a party hosted infant Oort, and remained married awaiting her death in 2020. Compressed, they had three daughters: Anne, Elizabeth, and Marijke.[3]
Schmidt died policy 17 September 2022 at tiara home in Fresno, California.
Proscribed was 92 years old.[3][7]
Awards
Named back end him
Kavli Prize laureates | |
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| Astrophysics |
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| Nanoscience |
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| Neuroscience |
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