Schmidt, Maarten (Astronomer)

Dates

• Existence: 1929 - 2222

Biographical/Historical

Background: Caltech Professor of Astronomy, 1959-1996; Director, Hale Observatories, 1978-1980; Chairman, Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, 1976-1978; Executive Officer for Astronomy, 1972-1975.

Biographical/Historical

Description: Maarten Schmidt was born in Groningen, Holland, in 1929. He developed an interest in astronomy at an early age. After undergraduate study at the University of Groningen (to 1949), he took up advanced study of astronomy at the University of Leiden with Jan Oort and became Oort's assistant at the Leiden Observatory. After a stint in Kenya working with G. van Henk (1950-1951), he returned to Holland and completed his PhD in 1956 with work on spiral galaxies. After receiving a Carnegie Fellowship in 1956, he made his first trip to the US to work at the Mt. Wilson Observatory in Pasadena. Schmidt accepted a position at Caltech (after refusing a first offer) in 1959. At Caltech his scientific work covered the following areas: star formation in galaxies; size and mass of our own galaxy; and identification of radio sources with optical objects. This latter work led to a major discovery, the recognition of mysterious, bright radio "stars," finally called quasars (1963). Schmidt continued to work on quasars through the 1990s, in addition to tackling problems in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy. He has held major administrative positions at Caltech; he has also served a term as president of the American Astronomical Association (1984-1986) and was Caltech's liaison to AURA (Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy) from 1983 to 1995.

Biographical/Historical

Collection Notes: Oral history, 1992. This 46-page oral history is focused on Schmidt's involvement with the Keck Telescope program.

Oral history, 1996. A 61-page interview with Shirley K. Cohen covers biographical and scientific subjects. Extended discussion of discovery of quasars; also breakup of Caltech-Carnegie Institution collaboration in astronomy.

Oral history, 2000. A 27-page oral history with Shirley K. Cohen on the controversy within LIGO between R. Vogt and R. Drever (1992-1994). Includes appendix of relevant documents.

Photo of Maarten Schmidt with an instrument (PhotoNet).

Found in 16 Collections and/or Records: