Wilhelm Gliese | |
|---|---|
 Gliese in 1976 | |
| Born | (1915-06-21)21 June 1915 |
| Died | 12 June 1993(1993-06-12) (aged 77) |
| Alma mater | University of Berlin |
| Known for | Gliese Catalogue of Nearby Stars |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
| Institutions | Astronomisches Rechen-Institut |
| Doctoral advisor | August Kopff |
Wilhelm Gliese (German pronunciation:[ˈɡliːzə], EnglishGLEE-zə; 21 June 1915 – 12 June 1993) was a German astronomer who specialized in the study and cataloging of nearby stars.
Gliese was born inGoldberg, now inPolishSilesia, the son of judge Wilhelm Gliese. He worked at theAstronomisches Rechen-Institut, first inBerlin and then inHeidelberg. While a student he was encouraged by theDutch astronomerPeter van de Kamp to study nearby stars, which he did for the rest of his life.
His astronomical research was interrupted duringWorld War II when he was conscripted into the GermanWehrmacht in 1942 and sent to theEastern Front. In 1945, he was taken prisoner by theSoviets and was not released until 1949. He finally resumed his research at the Institute, which had been moved by theU.S. Army to Heidelberg after the war. Although he nominally retired in 1980, he continued his research at the Institute until his death in 1993.[1]
He is best known for hisCatalogue of Nearby Stars, originally published in 1957[2] and again in 1969.[3] Some stars are primarily known by the catalog number he gave them, such asGliese 581 andGliese 710. The Gliese catalog stars are frequent targets of study due to their proximity toEarth, as suggested by their highproper motion. Gliese published two supplements to this catalog in 1979[4] and 1991[5] in collaboration withHartmut Jahreiß. Jahreiß wrote Gliese's obituary upon his death in 1993.[1]
The asteroid1823 Gliese, discovered by astronomerKarl Reinmuth in 1951, was named after Wilhelm Gliese.
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