Wulff Dieter Heintz
Encyclopedia
Wulff-Dieter Heintz was a German
astronomer
who worked the latter part of his career in the United States. He was Professor Emeritus of Astronomy
at Swarthmore College
and former director of the Sproul Observatory
. He was an active astronomer who specialised in the characterisation of binary stars using astrometry
.
, Germany
on 3 June 1930. He earned his doctorate in astronomy from the University of Munich in 1953. He did research at the University Observatory Munich's Southern Station on Mount Stromlo
in Australia
. Peter van de Kamp
invited him to the Sproul Observatory
to be a visiting professor in 1969. He subsequently joined the staff and became observatory director upon the retirement of van de Kamp in 1972. He remained a German
citizen. He was an avid and expert chess
player and authored a book on the game in German.
, Wulff's predecessor at Swarthmore, made claims since the 1960s of a planetary system
around Barnard's Star
. After van de Kamp's retirement in 1972, the photographic plates made using the Sproul refractor telescope were shown to be flawed, affecting Van de Kamp's Barnard's Star
claim as well as claims of planetary systems around other near-by stars made at the same time by staff astronomer Sarah Lippincott. Upon his assumption of directorship in 1973, Wulff began questioning the findings of his former colleague and began publishing criticisms from 1976 onwards; Van de Kamp never admitted any error and the two friends are reported to have become estranged over this affair.
after a two-year illness with cancer. He was 76.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
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...
who worked the latter part of his career in the United States. He was Professor Emeritus 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...
at Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
and former director of the Sproul Observatory
Sproul Observatory
Sproul Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Swarthmore College. It is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States, and is named after William Cameron Sproul, the 27th Governor of Pennsylvania, who graduated from Swarthmore in 1891.-Tours:An open house is offered...
. He was an active astronomer who specialised in the characterisation of binary stars using astrometry
Astrometry
Astrometry is the branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. The information obtained by astrometric measurements provides information on the kinematics and physical origin of our Solar System and our Galaxy, the Milky...
.
Life
Wulff-Dieter Heintz was born in WürzburgWürzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on 3 June 1930. He earned his doctorate in astronomy from the University of Munich in 1953. He did research at the University Observatory Munich's Southern Station on Mount Stromlo
Mount Stromlo
Mount Stromlo is situated a short drive west of the centre of Canberra, Australia, near the district of Weston Creek. Its peak is at approximately 770m AHD....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Peter van de Kamp
Peter van de Kamp
Piet van de Kamp , known as Peter van de Kamp in the United States, was a Dutch astronomer who lived most of his life in the United States. He was professor of astronomy at Swarthmore College and director of the college's Sproul Observatory from 1937 until 1972...
invited him to the Sproul Observatory
Sproul Observatory
Sproul Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Swarthmore College. It is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States, and is named after William Cameron Sproul, the 27th Governor of Pennsylvania, who graduated from Swarthmore in 1891.-Tours:An open house is offered...
to be a visiting professor in 1969. He subsequently joined the staff and became observatory director upon the retirement of van de Kamp in 1972. He remained a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
citizen. He was an avid and expert chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player and authored a book on the game in German.
The Barnard's Star affair
Peter van de KampPeter van de Kamp
Piet van de Kamp , known as Peter van de Kamp in the United States, was a Dutch astronomer who lived most of his life in the United States. He was professor of astronomy at Swarthmore College and director of the college's Sproul Observatory from 1937 until 1972...
, Wulff's predecessor at Swarthmore, made claims since the 1960s of a planetary system
Planetary system
A planetary system consists of the various non-stellar objects orbiting a star such as planets, dwarf planets , asteroids, meteoroids, comets, and cosmic dust...
around Barnard's Star
Barnard's star
Barnard's Star, also known occasionally as Barnard's "Runaway" Star, is a very low-mass red dwarf star approximately six light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Ophiuchus . In 1916, the American astronomer E.E...
. After van de Kamp's retirement in 1972, the photographic plates made using the Sproul refractor telescope were shown to be flawed, affecting Van de Kamp's Barnard's Star
Barnard's star
Barnard's Star, also known occasionally as Barnard's "Runaway" Star, is a very low-mass red dwarf star approximately six light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Ophiuchus . In 1916, the American astronomer E.E...
claim as well as claims of planetary systems around other near-by stars made at the same time by staff astronomer Sarah Lippincott. Upon his assumption of directorship in 1973, Wulff began questioning the findings of his former colleague and began publishing criticisms from 1976 onwards; Van de Kamp never admitted any error and the two friends are reported to have become estranged over this affair.
Later life and death
Heintz retired from active teaching in 1998 but remained a frequent and popular guest at the college. He died on 10 June 2006, in Swarthmore, PennsylvaniaSwarthmore, Pennsylvania
Swarthmore is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Swarthmore was originally named Westdale in honor of noted painter Benjamin West, who was one of the early residents of the town. The name was changed to Swarthmore after the establishment of Swarthmore College...
after a two-year illness with cancer. He was 76.
