Sidney van den Bergh | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sidney van den Bergh (1929-05-20)20 May 1929 (age 96) Wassenaar, Netherlands, |
| Occupation | Astronomer |
| Awards | Order of Canada |
Sidney Van den Bergh (born 20 May 1929) is a retired Dutch-Canadian astronomer.[1]
Van den Bergh showed an interest in science from an early age, learning to read with books on astronomy.[2] In addition to being interested in astronomy, he also liked geology andarcheology.[2] His parents got him science books, a telescope, and a microscope, although they wished him to pursue a more practical career and only follow astronomy as a hobby.[2] He went toLeiden University in the Netherlands from 1947 to 1948. He then attendedPrinceton University on scholarship where he received his A.B. in 1950.[1][2] In December 1950, he was living inColumbus, Ohio and evidencing an interest in Astronomy.[3] He obtained an MSc fromOhio State University (1952) and a Dr. rer. nat. from theUniversity of Göttingen (1956).[1]
Van den Bergh took a faculty position at Ohio State University from 1956 to 1958 before moving to Toronto in 1958 where he spent the first part of his career at theDavid Dunlap Observatory (DDO) of theUniversity of Toronto.[1] At the DDO, he led innovations that included: expansion of the facilities, utilization of computers, and multicolorphotometry.[1] While his areas of focus have included the moon and other parts of theSolar System, he is best known for his work in extragalactic astronomy in which he has published original findings and reviews ofnebulae,star clusters,variable stars,supernovae and more recently, an update to the estimatedage of the universe.[1] He discoveredAndromeda II.[4]
The second part of his career began in 1978 in Victoria, British Columbia, at theDominion Astrophysical Observatory where he was appointed director in 1977 and took office in 1978, remaining in that position until 1986 when he semi-retired and took the new role of principal research officer.[1][5] He has served as president of theCanadian Astronomical Society and as vice-president of theInternational Astronomical Union from 1972 to 1982.[6]
Beginning in 1982, van den Bergh started serving as chairman and president of the board of theCanada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation in Hawaii.[1]
Awards
Named after him
