Willem Jacob Luyten
Encyclopedia
Willem Jacob Luyten was a Dutch
-American
astronomer
.
, Java
, at the time part of the Dutch East Indies
. His mother was Cornelia M. Francken and his father Jacob Luyten, a French teacher.
At the age of 11 he observed Halley's comet, which started his fascination with astronomy. He also had a knack for languages, and eventually could speak nine. In 1912 his family moved back to the Netherlands
where he studied astronomy at the University of Amsterdam, receiving his BA in 1918.
He was the first student to earn his PhD (at the age of 22) with Ejnar Hertzsprung
at Leiden University
. In 1921 he left for the United States
where he first worked at the Lick Observatory
. From 1923 to 1930 Luytens worked at the Harvard College Observatory
eventually working at the observatory's Bloemfontein station. He spent the years 1928-1930 in Bloemfontein
, South Africa
, where he met and married Willemina H. Miedema on February 5, 1930.
Upon his return to the United States in 1931, he taught at the University of Minnesota
from 1931-1967, then served as astronomer emeritus from 1967 until his death.
Luytens studied the proper motion
s of star
s and discovered many white dwarf
s. He also discovered some of the Sun
's nearest neighbors, including Luyten's star
as well as the high–proper motion star system Luyten 726-8
, which was soon found to contain the remarkable flare star
UV Ceti.
Named after him
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...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
.
Life
Jacob Luyten was born in SemarangSemarang
- Economy :The western part of the city is home to many industrial parks and factories. The port of Semarang is located on the north coast and it is the main shipping port for the province of Central Java. Many small manufacturers are located in Semarang, producing goods such as textiles,...
, Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, at the time part of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. His mother was Cornelia M. Francken and his father Jacob Luyten, a French teacher.
At the age of 11 he observed Halley's comet, which started his fascination with astronomy. He also had a knack for languages, and eventually could speak nine. In 1912 his family moved back to 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...
where he studied astronomy at the University of Amsterdam, receiving his BA in 1918.
He was the first student to earn his PhD (at the age of 22) with Ejnar Hertzsprung
Ejnar Hertzsprung
Ejnar Hertzsprung was a Danish chemist and astronomer.Hertzsprung was born in Copenhagen. In the period 1911–1913, together with Henry Norris Russell, he developed the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram....
at 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 1921 he left for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he first worked at the 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...
. From 1923 to 1930 Luytens worked at the Harvard College Observatory
Harvard College Observatory
The Harvard College Observatory is an institution managing a complex of buildings and multiple instruments used for astronomical research by the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and was founded in 1839...
eventually working at the observatory's Bloemfontein station. He spent the years 1928-1930 in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where he met and married Willemina H. Miedema on February 5, 1930.
Upon his return to the United States in 1931, he taught at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
from 1931-1967, then served as astronomer emeritus from 1967 until his death.
Luytens studied the proper motion
Proper motion
The proper motion of a star is its angular change in position over time as seen from the center of mass of the solar system. It is measured in seconds of arc per year, arcsec/yr, where 3600 arcseconds equal one degree. This contrasts with radial velocity, which is the time rate of change in...
s of star
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 discovered many white dwarf
White dwarf
A white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small star composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. They are very dense; a white dwarf's mass is comparable to that of the Sun and its volume is comparable to that of the Earth. Its faint luminosity comes from the emission of stored...
s. He also discovered some of the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
's nearest neighbors, including Luyten's star
Luyten's Star
Luyten's Star is a red dwarf star in the constellation Canis Minor. It is located at a distance of around 12.36 light-years and has a visual magnitude of 9.9, making it too faint to be viewed with the unaided eye. It is named after Willem Jacob Luyten, who first determined its proper motion.This...
as well as the high–proper motion star system Luyten 726-8
Luyten 726-8
Luyten 726-8 is a binary star system that is one of Earth's nearest neighbors, at about 8.7 light years from Earth in the constellation Cetus...
, which was soon found to contain the remarkable flare star
Flare star
A flare star is a variable star that can undergo unpredictable dramatic increases in brightness for a few minutes. It is believed that the flares on flare stars are analogous to solar flares in that they are due to magnetic reconnection in the atmospheres of the stars. The brightness increase is...
UV Ceti.
Honors
Awards- James Craig Watson MedalJames Craig Watson Medalthumb|right|400px|James Craig Watson MedalThe James Craig Watson Medal was established by the bequest of James Craig Watson, and is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for contributions to astronomy.The recipients have been:-External links:*...
(1964) - Bruce 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...
(1968)
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...
1964 Luyten1964 Luyten1964 Luyten is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 24, 1960 by Cornelis Johannes van Houten and Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld at Leiden, on Palomar Observatory Schmidt plates taken by Tom Gehrels.- External links :*... - Luyten's StarLuyten's StarLuyten's Star is a red dwarf star in the constellation Canis Minor. It is located at a distance of around 12.36 light-years and has a visual magnitude of 9.9, making it too faint to be viewed with the unaided eye. It is named after Willem Jacob Luyten, who first determined its proper motion.This...