Virginia Trimble
Encyclopedia
Virginia Louise Trimble is an astronomer specializing in the structure and evolution of star
s and galaxies, and the history of astronomy
.
in 1968. She joined the faculty of the University of California, Irvine
in 1971, where she is presently Professor of astronomy
. From the time that she married Maryland Professor Joseph Weber
until 2002, she spent half of each academic year as a visiting professor at the University of Maryland, College Park
. She is famous for an annual review of astrophysics
she publishes in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
. During at least 2000, she was vice president of the International Astronomical Union
and the American Astronomical Society
.
Trimble was married to physicist Joseph Weber
, a pioneer of gravitational wave
research.
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s and galaxies, and the history of astronomy
History of astronomy
Astronomy is the oldest of the natural sciences, dating back to antiquity, with its origins in the religious, mythological, and astrological practices of pre-history: vestiges of these are still found in astrology, a discipline long interwoven with public and governmental astronomy, and not...
.
Life
Trimble received her B.A. from UCLA in 1964 and her Ph.D from the California Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
in 1968. She joined the faculty of the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
in 1971, where she is presently Professor of astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. From the time that she married Maryland Professor Joseph Weber
Joseph Weber
Joseph Weber was an American physicist. He gave the earliest public lecture on the principles behind the laser and the maser and developed the first gravitational wave detectors .-Early education:...
until 2002, she spent half of each academic year as a visiting professor at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. She is famous for an annual review of astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
she publishes in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is a scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world...
. During at least 2000, she was 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...
and the American Astronomical Society
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
.
Trimble was married to physicist Joseph Weber
Joseph Weber
Joseph Weber was an American physicist. He gave the earliest public lecture on the principles behind the laser and the maser and developed the first gravitational wave detectors .-Early education:...
, a pioneer of gravitational wave
Gravitational wave
In physics, gravitational waves are theoretical ripples in the curvature of spacetime which propagates as a wave, traveling outward from the source. Predicted to exist by Albert Einstein in 1916 on the basis of his theory of general relativity, gravitational waves theoretically transport energy as...
research.
Publications
A selection of her publications includes:- Astrophysics in 2003, The Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Volume 116, Issue 817, pp. 187–265 (2004).
- Cosmic Discoveries, Sky and Telescope, February 1999, 32-40.
- Can't You Keep Einstein's Equations out of my Observatory?, BeamLine 29, No. 1, p 21-25 (1999).
- Limits on the Chirality of Interstellar and Intergalactic Space, Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy 17, 17-21 (1996).
- Productivity and Impact of Large Optical Telescopes, Scientometrics 36, 237-246 (1996).
- Parallaxes and Proper Motions of Prototypes of Astrophysically Interesting Classes of Stars, Astronomical Journal 115, 358-360 (1998).
Awards
- NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing of the National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(1986) - George Van Biesbroeck PrizeGeorge Van Biesbroeck PrizeThe George Van Biesbroeck Prize is an award for long-term achievements in the field of astronomy. According to the American Astronomical Society awards website; "The Van Biesbroeck prize is normally awarded every two years and honors a living individual for long-term extraordinary or unselfish...
(2010)