Helmut Arthur Abt (26 May 1925 – 22 November 2024) was a German-born American astrophysicist, having worked at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and an Elected Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

. He was astronomer

emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

at Kitt Peak National Observatory.

Life and career

Helmut Arthur Abt was born in Helmstedt, Germany on 26 May 1925. His family emigrated to the United States when he was two. He received his B.S. in

Mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

in 1946, M.S. in

Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

from Northwestern University in 1948, and became the first person to be awarded a Ph.D. in astrophysics at California Institute of Technology in 1952 for his thesis work on

W Virginis W Virginis is the prototype W Virginis variable, a subclass of the Cepheid variable stars. It is located in the constellation Virgo (constellation), Virgo, and varies between magnitudes 9.46 and 10.75 over a period of approximately 17 day ...

. He then spent a year at

Lick Observatory The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of California. It is on the summit of Mount Hamilton (California), Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, United States. The ...

. From 1953 to 1959 he was assistant professor at Yerkes Observatory, part of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

, then joined the staff of the Kitt Peak National Observatory as an astronomer, where he remained until 2000. From 1966 to 1968, he was President of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. During 1971–1999 he was managing editor of the ''

Astrophysical Journal ''The Astrophysical Journal'' (''ApJ'') is a peer-reviewed scientific journal of astrophysics and astronomy, established in 1895 by American astronomers George Ellery Hale and James Edward Keeler. The journal discontinued its print edition and ...

''. His areas of research included stellar rotation;

binary stars A binary star or binary star system is a system of two stars that are gravitationally bound to and in orbit around each other. Binary stars in the night sky that are seen as a single object to the naked eye are often resolved as separate stars us ...

, including

spectroscopic binaries A binary star or binary star system is a Star system, system of two stars that are gravity, gravitationally bound to and in orbit around each other. Binary stars in the night sky that are seen as a single object to the naked eye are often resolved ...

;

stellar classification In astronomy, stellar classification is the classification of stars based on their stellar spectrum, spectral characteristics. Electromagnetic radiation from the star is analyzed by splitting it with a Prism (optics), prism or diffraction gratin ...

; and

bibliometrics Bibliometrics is the application of statistical methods to the study of bibliographic data, especially in scientific and library and information science contexts, and is closely associated with scientometrics (the analysis of scientific metri ...

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

publications. Abt died on 22 November 2024, at the age of 99.

Awards and honors

Abt was awarded the

George Van Biesbroeck Prize The 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 indi ...

in 1997. The main-belt asteroid 9423 Abt, discovered by

Spacewatch The Spacewatch Project is an astronomical survey that specializes in the study of minor planets, including various types of asteroids and comets at University of Arizona telescopes on Kitt Peak near Tucson, Arizona. The Spacewatch Project has be ...

at Kitt Peak National Observatory in 1996, and Abt's star (SV Crateris/ HD 98088/ ADS 8115) in the constellation CraterSky Catalogue 2000.0, Volume 2: Double Stars, Variable Stars and Nonstellar Objects - page xlv: Glossary of Selected Astronomical Names were named in his honor.

References

External links

Oral History interview transcript for Helmut Abt on 28 and 29 October 1999, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abt, Helmut 1925 births 2024 deaths People from Helmstedt American astrophysicists Northwestern University alumni California Institute of Technology alumni Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows of the American Astronomical Society German emigrants to the United States The Astrophysical Journal editors