Knut Lundmark
Encyclopedia
Knut Emil Lundmark was a Swedish
astronomer
, professor of astronomy and head of the observatory
at Lund University
1929–1955.
Lundmark received his astronomical education at the observatory
of Uppsala University
. His dissertation (1920) was titled: The relations of the globular clusters and spiral nebulae to the stellar system. In the 1920s he worked at several observatories in the USA, mainly Lick Observatory
and Mount Wilson Observatory
.
Knut Lundmark was one of the pioneers in the modern study of the galaxies and their distances.
He was one of the first to suspect that the galaxies are remote
stellar systems at vast distances and not nearby objects belonging to our own galaxy, the Milky Way
. In 1919 he measured the distance to M31 - the Andromeda Galaxy
, to 650,000 light years (about a fourth of the present day value) using magnitudes of nova
e found in M31 and comparing them to nearby ones with known distances. Lundmark's work contributed to the later famous Great Debate
.
Lundmark also studied the light distribution in the galaxies, and discovered that the distribution could only properly be explained if the galaxies contained vast amounts of light-blocking dark clouds.
He was the leading writer of popular astronomy among the professional astronomers in Sweden from the 1930s and onwards. He also often appeared in the Swedish national radio with programs on popular astronomy and the history of science. He made generations of Swedes fascinated and interested in astronomy.
The crater Lundmark
on the Moon was named after him. The Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte Galaxy is named after Lundmark, Max Wolf
and Philibert Jacques Melotte
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
, professor of astronomy and head of the observatory
Lund Observatory
Lund Observatory is the official English name for the astronomy department at Lund University. As of January 2010 Lund Observatory is part of The department of astronomy and theoretical physics at Lund University...
at Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
1929–1955.
Lundmark received his astronomical education at the observatory
Uppsala Astronomical Observatory
The Uppsala Astronomical Observatory is the oldest astronomical observatory in Sweden. It was founded in 1741, though there was a professorial chair of astronomy at the University of Uppsala from 1593 and the university archives include lecture notes in astronomy from the 1480s.In the 18th...
of Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
. His dissertation (1920) was titled: The relations of the globular clusters and spiral nebulae to the stellar system. In the 1920s he worked at several observatories in the USA, mainly Lick Observatory
Lick Observatory
The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA...
and Mount Wilson Observatory
Mount Wilson Observatory
The Mount Wilson Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a 5,715 foot peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles...
.
Knut Lundmark was one of the pioneers in the modern study of the galaxies and their distances.
He was one of the first to suspect that the galaxies are remote
stellar systems at vast distances and not nearby objects belonging to our own galaxy, the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
. In 1919 he measured the distance to M31 - the Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
, to 650,000 light years (about a fourth of the present day value) using magnitudes of nova
Nova
A nova is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion in a star caused by the accretion of hydrogen on to the surface of a white dwarf star, which ignites and starts nuclear fusion in a runaway manner...
e found in M31 and comparing them to nearby ones with known distances. Lundmark's work contributed to the later famous Great Debate
The Great Debate
In astronomy, the Great Debate, also called the Shapley–Curtis Debate, was an influential debate between the astronomers Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis which concerned the nature of spiral nebulae and the size of the universe...
.
Lundmark also studied the light distribution in the galaxies, and discovered that the distribution could only properly be explained if the galaxies contained vast amounts of light-blocking dark clouds.
He was the leading writer of popular astronomy among the professional astronomers in Sweden from the 1930s and onwards. He also often appeared in the Swedish national radio with programs on popular astronomy and the history of science. He made generations of Swedes fascinated and interested in astronomy.
The crater Lundmark
Lundmark (crater)
Lundmark is an eroded crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the southwest of the Mare Ingenii, one of the rare mare areas on the far side...
on the Moon was named after him. The Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte Galaxy is named after Lundmark, Max Wolf
Max Wolf
Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf was a German astronomer and a pioneer in the field of astrophotography...
and Philibert Jacques Melotte
Philibert Jacques Melotte
Philibert Jacques Melotte was a British astronomer whose parents immigrated from Belgium.In 1908 he discovered a moon of Jupiter, today known as Pasiphaë. It was simply designated "Jupiter VIII" and was not given its present name until 1975.The asteroid 676 Melitta, the only one he discovered, is...
.
External links
- http://www42.pair.com/infolund/bolaget/DAHAP/people/3.html - photo: Knut Lundmark at Lund Observatory in 1937
- http://www.astro.uu.se/history/ - history from Uppsala Observatory - Astronomy in Sweden 1860-1940
- http://eee.uci.edu/clients/bjbecker/ExploringtheCosmos/lecture18.html - the galactic redshift-distance relationship