Max Waldmeier
Born(1912-04-18)18 April 1912
Died26 September 2000(2000-09-26) (aged 88)
NationalitySwiss
OccupationAstronomer

Max Waldmeier (18 April 1912 – 26 September 2000) was a Swiss astronomer, known for his research on sunspots. As director of the Zurich Observatory until 1980, Waldmeier insisted on counting sunspots by eye over automated methods, using a Fraunhofer refracting telescope installed by Zurich Observatory director Rudolf Wolf in 1849.[1]

Legacy

Waldmeier was known for his "stubborn traditionalism" about how sunspots should be studied.[1] He has been variously described as "one of the leading personalities in solar physics of the 20th century"[2] and "the most arrogant astronomer in Switzerland in the mid-20th century."[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Jonathon Keats (2015) "The 315-Year-Old Science Experiment" Nautilus, 26 March 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  2. ^ Stenflo, Jan Olof (2000-11-02). "Obituary: Max Waldmeier 1912-2000". SolarNews: The Electronic Newsletter of the Solar Physics Division, American Astronomical Society. 2000 (21). Archived from the original on 2017-02-02.
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