Sidney van den Bergh
Encyclopedia
Sidney Van den Bergh, OC
, FRS
(born 20 May 1929, Wassenaar
) is a retired Canadian
astronomer.
Born in the Netherlands
, son of businessman and politician Sidney James van den Bergh
and grandson of Unilever
co-founder Samuel van den Bergh
, he showed an interest in science from an early age, learning to read with books on astronomy. In addition to being interested in astronomy, he also liked geology
and archeology. 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. He went to Leiden University
in the Netherlands from 1947–1948. He then attended Princeton University
on scholarship where he received his A.B. in 1950. In December 1950, he was living in Columbus, Ohio
and evidencing an interest in Astronomy. He obtained an M.Sc. from Ohio State University
(1952) and a Dr. rer. nat. from the University of Göttingen (1956).
He took a faculty position at Ohio State University from 1956-1958 before moving to Toronto in 1958 where he spent the first part of his career at the David Dunlap Observatory
(DDO) of the University of Toronto
. At the DDO, he led innovations that included: expansion of the facilities, utilization of computers, and multicolor photometry
. While his areas of focus have included the moon and other parts of our solar system, he is best known for his work in extragalactic astronomy in which he has published original findings and reviews of nebula
e, star cluster
s, variable star
s, supernova
e and more recently, an update to the estimated age of the universe
. He discovered Andromeda II
.
The second part of his career began in 1978 in Victoria, British Columbia
, at the Dominion 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. He has served as President of the Canadian Astronomical Society
and as Vice-President of the International Astronomical Union
from 1972 to 1982.
Beginning in 1982, he started serving as chairman and president of the board of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope
Corporation in Hawaii.
Named after him
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, FRS
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(born 20 May 1929, Wassenaar
Wassenaar
Wassenaar is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. A fairly affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km north of that city on the N44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region...
) is a retired Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
astronomer.
Born in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, son of businessman and politician Sidney James van den Bergh
Sidney James van den Bergh
Sidney James van den Bergh was a Dutch businessman, World War II military officer and politician, who was a senior manager of Unilever and Minister of Defence for the Netherlands in 1959.-Sources:...
and grandson of Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
co-founder Samuel van den Bergh
Samuel van den Bergh
Samuel van den Bergh was one of the main European margarine and soap manufacturers in the early 20th century....
, he showed an interest in science from an early age, learning to read with books on astronomy. In addition to being interested in astronomy, he also liked geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and archeology. 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. He went to Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
in the Netherlands from 1947–1948. He then attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
on scholarship where he received his A.B. in 1950. In December 1950, he was living in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and evidencing an interest in Astronomy. He obtained an M.Sc. from Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
(1952) and a Dr. rer. nat. from the University of Göttingen (1956).
He took a faculty position at Ohio State University from 1956-1958 before moving to Toronto in 1958 where he spent the first part of his career at the David Dunlap Observatory
David Dunlap Observatory
The David Dunlap Observatory is a large astronomical observatory site once owned by the University of Toronto, located just north of the city in Richmond Hill, Ontario within a estate. Its primary instrument is a 74-inch reflector telescope, at one time the second largest telescope in the world,...
(DDO) of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. At the DDO, he led innovations that included: expansion of the facilities, utilization of computers, and multicolor photometry
Photometry (astronomy)
Photometry is a technique of astronomy concerned with measuring the flux, or intensity of an astronomical object's electromagnetic radiation...
. While his areas of focus have included the moon and other parts of our solar system, he is best known for his work in extragalactic astronomy in which he has published original findings and reviews of nebula
Nebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and other ionized gases...
e, star cluster
Star cluster
Star clusters or star clouds are groups of stars. Two types of star clusters can be distinguished: globular clusters are tight groups of hundreds of thousands of very old stars which are gravitationally bound, while open clusters, more loosely clustered groups of stars, generally contain less than...
s, variable star
Variable star
A star is classified as variable if its apparent magnitude as seen from Earth changes over time, whether the changes are due to variations in the star's actual luminosity, or to variations in the amount of the star's light that is blocked from reaching Earth...
s, supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
e and more recently, an update to the estimated age of the universe
Age of the universe
The age of the universe is the time elapsed since the Big Bang posited by the most widely accepted scientific model of cosmology. The best current estimate of the age of the universe is 13.75 ± 0.13 billion years within the Lambda-CDM concordance model...
. He discovered Andromeda II
Andromeda II
Andromeda II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.22 Mly away in the constellation Andromeda. It is part of the Local group of galaxies and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy but it's also situated closely to the Triangulum Galaxy , it is not quite clear if it is a satellite of the...
.
The second part of his career began in 1978 in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, located on Observatory Hill, in Saanich, British Columbia, was completed in 1918 by the Canadian government. Proposed and designed by John S...
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. He has served as President of the Canadian Astronomical Society
Canadian Astronomical Society
The Canadian Astronomical Society is a Canadian society of professional astronomers, founded in 1971 and incorporated in 1983. The society is devoted to the promotion and advancement of knowledge of the universe through research and education, and its membership is open to people with a...
and as Vice-President of the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
from 1972 to 1982.
Beginning in 1982, he started serving as chairman and president of the board of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope
The Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope is located near the summit of Mauna Kea mountain on Hawaii's Big Island at an altitude of 4,204 meters , and is one of the observatories that comprise the Mauna Kea Observatory...
Corporation in Hawaii.
Honours
Awards- Elected Fellow of the Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(1988) - First National Research Council President's Science Medal (1988)
- Henry Norris Russell LectureshipHenry Norris Russell LectureshipThe Henry Norris Russell Lectureship is awarded each year by the American Astronomical Society in recognition of a lifetime of excellence in astronomical research.-Previous lecturers:This list of lecturers is from the American Astronomical Society's website....
(1990) - Killam Prize (1990)
- Appointed officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(1994) - Carlyle S. Beals Award (1998)
- Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold MedalBruce MedalThe Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal is awarded every year by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for outstanding lifetime contributions to astronomy. It is named after Catherine Wolfe Bruce, an American patroness of astronomy, and was first awarded in 1898...
(2008)
Named after him
- AsteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
4230 Van den Bergh4230 van den Bergh4230 Van den Bergh is an outer main-belt asteroid discovered on September 19, 1973 by Cornelis Johannes van Houten, Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld and Tom Gehrels at Palomar Observatory. It is named for Sidney Van den Bergh, Dutch Canadian astronomer and former director of the Dominion Astrophysical... - Comet Van den Bergh (discovered by Van den Bergh in 1974)