George Van Biesbroeck
| George Van Biesbroeck | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
January 21, 1880 Ghent, Belgium |
| Died | February 23, 1974 (aged 94) United States |
| Residence | United States |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Nationality | Belgium - United States |
| Fields | astronomy |
| Institutions |
Yerkes Observatory McDonald Observatory |
| Alma mater | Ghent University |
| Doctoral advisor | Karl Schwarzschild |
| Known for |
astrophotography Discoverer of minor planets |
| Notable awards |
Valz Prize (1928) James Craig Watson Medal (1957) |
George A. Van Biesbroeck (or Georges-Achille Van Biesbroeck, January 21, 1880 – February 23, 1974) was a Belgian–American astronomer. He worked at observatories in Belgium, Germany and the United States. He specialized in the observation of double stars, asteroids and comets. He is notable for his long career as an observational astronomer.
He was born in Ghent, Belgium on January 21, 1880 to a family of artists. At his father's request he pursued, and in 1902, he received, the 1st degree of Civil Engineering Construction and began work as a civil engineer for the Brussels Department of Roads and Bridges. But his true vocation is not there, it was astronomy, and while performing his official duties as a civil engineer he joined volunteers at the Uccle Observatory. In 1904 he left civil engineering behind and joined the staff at the Royal Observatory of Belgium at Uccle.
He then enrolled at Ghent University and obtained a degree in theoretical astronomy. He worked at the Heidelberg Observatory, then at the Potsdam Observatory under the direction of Max Wolf, Karl Schwarzschild and others.
In 1915, as World War I was raging, he was invited to come to work at Yerkes Observatory. He and his family made the dangerous trip across wartime Europe and settled permanently in the United States. He became a U.S citizen in 1922. He then began his work on double stars, comets, asteroids, and variable stars. In 1945 he was forced into retirement at Yerkes at the age of 65. Relieved of administrative duties, he became an even more active observer at Yerkes and at the McDonald Observatory. He made the frequent automobile trips between the observatories in Wisconsin and Texas without complaint.
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