Jean-Claude Pecker
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Jean-Claude Pecker (10 May 1923 – 20 February 2020) was a French astronomer, astrophysicist and author, member of the
French Academy of Sciences The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...
and director of the
Nice Observatory The Nice Observatory () is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mount Gros. The observatory was founded in 1879, by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier (architect), Charles Garnier, ...
. He served as the secretary-general of the
International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; , UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and developmen ...
from 1964 to 1967. Pecker was the President of the Société astronomique de France (SAF), the French amateur astronomical society, from 1973–1976. He was awarded the
Prix Jules Janssen The Prix Jules Janssen is the highest award of the Société astronomique de France (SAF), the French astronomical society. This annual prize is given to a professional French astronomer or to an astronomer of another nationality in recognition ...
by the
French Astronomical Society French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), a ...
in 1967. A minor planet (
1629 Pecker Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number) *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen * ''Sixteen'' (20 ...
) is named after him. Pecker was a vocal opponent of
astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...
and
pseudo-science Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...
and was the president of the Association française pour l'information scientifique (AFIS), a skeptical organisation which promotes scientific enquiry in the face of
quackery Quackery, often synonymous with health fraud, is the promotion of fraudulent or Ignorance, ignorant medicine, medical practices. A quack is a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or public ...
and
obscurantism In philosophy, obscurantism or obscurationism is the Anti-intellectualism, anti-intellectual practice of deliberately presenting information in an wikt:abstruse, abstruse and imprecise manner that limits further inquiry and understanding of a subj ...
.


Early life

Jean-Claude Pecker was born 10 May 1923, in
Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
, to Victor-Noël Pecker and Nelly Catherine née Hermann (a teacher of Philosophy and Literature), in the department of
Marne Marne can refer to: Places France *Marne (river), a tributary of the Seine *Marne (department), a département in northeastern France named after the river * La Marne, a commune in western France *Marne, a legislative constituency (France) Nethe ...
, France. The grandson of Joseph Hermann,
rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...
of
Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...
and later
Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
, Pecker was born in his maternal grandparents' house, moving later to
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
. In the summer of 1941 they moved to the Hermann house in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
because of anti-Jewish restrictions placed on his parents during the
Vichy regime Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...
. In May 1944 both his parents were transported to
Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...
where they died, while his grandmother, absent during the raid, was hidden by neighbour Ida Barrett who was later designated by the state of Israel as one of the
Righteous Among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( ) is a title used by Yad Vashem to describe people who, for various reasons, made an effort to assist victims, mostly Jews, who were being persecuted and exterminated by Nazi Germany, Fascist Romania, Fascist Italy, ...
for her actions to conceal the old lady until the
liberation of Paris The liberation of Paris () was a battle that took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the German garrison surrendered the French capital on 25 August 1944. Paris had been occupied by Nazi Germany since the signing of the Armisti ...
. Pecker was interested in astronomy from a young age. He studied at the Lycée Michel de Montaigne de Bordeaux but was forced to go into hiding during the Second World War. After the
Liberation of France The liberation of France () in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French Resistance. Nazi Germany in ...
he attended the
École Normale Supérieure École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by Secondary education in France, secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing i ...
in Paris. In October 1946 he joined the
Institut d'astrophysique de Paris The Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (translated: Paris Institute of Astrophysics) is a research institute in Paris, France. The Institute is part of the Sorbonne University and is associated with the CNRS Centre national de la recherche scientif ...
and studied for the
agrégation In France, the () is the most competitive and prestigious examination for civil service in the French public education A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all stu ...
of physics and chemistry, where he studied under, and had his doctoral thesis judged by
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
winning physicist
Alfred Kastler Alfred Kastler (; 3 May 1902 – 7 January 1984) was a German-born French physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics. He is known for the development of optical pumping. Biography Kastler was born in Guebwiller (Alsace, at the time part of the Germ ...
. He earned his
doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
in May 1950. At the Institut d’Astrophysique he got to know and shared an office with
Evry Schatzman Evry Léon Schatzman (16 September 1920 – 25 April 2010) was a French scientist hailed as "the father of modern French astrophysics". Background His father, Benjamin Schatzman, was a dentist born in Tulcea, Romania, and emigrated at a young ag ...
with whom he collaborated for many years.


Professional career

From 1952 to 1955 Pecker was associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the
University of Clermont-Ferrand The University of Clermont-Ferrand was officially founded in 1896, by merging of two existing faculties (Literature and Sciences) and a medical school. In 1976, due to political issues, the University split between University Clermont-Ferrand I - ...
. From early in his career he held many international appointments including fellow of the
High Altitude Observatory The High Altitude Observatory (HAO) is a laboratory of the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). HAO operates the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory on Hawaii (island), Hawaii and a research institute in Boulder, Colorado. Its staff condu ...
in Colorado, USA. In 1955 he became astronomer for the
Paris Observatory The Paris Observatory (, ), a research institution of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centres in the world. Its historic building is on the Left Ban ...
followed by director of the
Nice Observatory The Nice Observatory () is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mount Gros. The observatory was founded in 1879, by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier (architect), Charles Garnier, ...
in 1961. In 1963 Pecker became professor of
theoretical astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the ...
at the
Collège de France The (), formerly known as the or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment () in France. It is located in Paris near La Sorbonne. The has been considered to be France's most ...
in Paris, a position he held until 1988 when he became
honorary professor Honorary titles (professor, president, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as ...
. He was also director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) Institute of Astrophysics from 1972–1978. His main fields of work within astrophysics were solar and stellar atmospheres and Sun-Earth interactions. He was also known for questioning the standard
Big Bang theory The Big Bang is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models based on the Big Bang concept explain a broad range of phenomena, including the ...
, positing "alternative but partial solutions" (a quasi-static model) and was signatory, with 33 other scientists, to an open letter to the scientific community expressing concern over the dominance of the Big Bang and expansion of the Universe theories. They complained that the
tired light Tired light is a class of hypothetical redshift mechanisms that was proposed as an alternative explanation for the redshift-distance relationship. These models have been proposed as alternatives to the models that involve the expansion of the uni ...
theory in particular was generally discounted or ignored by most cosmologists at the time of writing.


Positions held

* 1952–1955 Professor at the Faculty of Science,
University of Clermont-Ferrand The University of Clermont-Ferrand was officially founded in 1896, by merging of two existing faculties (Literature and Sciences) and a medical school. In 1976, due to political issues, the University split between University Clermont-Ferrand I - ...
* 1955–1962 Astronomer of the
Paris Observatory The Paris Observatory (, ), a research institution of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centres in the world. Its historic building is on the Left Ban ...
* 1962–1969 Director of the
Nice Observatory The Nice Observatory () is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mount Gros. The observatory was founded in 1879, by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier (architect), Charles Garnier, ...
* 1963–1988 Professor of theoretical astrophysics at the
Collège de France The (), formerly known as the or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment () in France. It is located in Paris near La Sorbonne. The has been considered to be France's most ...
and honorary professor thereafter * 1964–1967 General secretary of the
Société astronomique de France The Société astronomique de France (SAF; ), the France, French astronomical society, is a non-profit association in the public interest organized under French law (Association loi de 1901). Founded by astronomer Camille Flammarion in 1887, its ...
and President thereafter until 1976 * 1964–1967 General Secretary of the IAU
International Astronomical Union
* 1972–1979 Director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) Institute of Astrophysics * 1978 President of the French association for the advancement of science * 1983–1985 President of the Comité d'Orientation du Musée de la Villette * 1986–1988 President of the Comité National de culture scientifique et technique * 1988 Vice-chair of the Scientific committee of the Musées de France * 1989–1992 Vice-President of the Academia Europaea * 1990–1996 Vice-President of the French
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
committee and thereafter permanent representative to UNESCO of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) * 1999–2001 President of the
Association française pour l'information scientifique Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...
In the 1950s Pecker spent a year as associate fellow of the
High Altitude Observatory The High Altitude Observatory (HAO) is a laboratory of the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). HAO operates the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory on Hawaii (island), Hawaii and a research institute in Boulder, Colorado. Its staff condu ...
at Boulder, Colorado. Pecker was also associate member of the Royal Society of Science (Liege), associate of the
Royal Astronomical Society The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society and charitable organisation, charity that encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, planetary science, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. Its ...
, member of the National Academy of Bordeaux, the
Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium The Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium (RASAB) is a non-governmental association that promotes and organises science and the arts in Belgium by coordinating the national and international activities of its constituent academies su ...
, the
European Academy of Sciences and Arts The European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA, ) is a transnational and interdisciplinary network, connecting about 2,000 recommended scientists and artists worldwide, including 38 Nobel Prize laureates. The European Academy of Sciences and ...
and honorary associate of
Rationalist International Rationalist International is an organization with the stated aim to represent a rational view of the world. External linksRationalist International Homepage Rationalist groups based in India Organizations established in 1995 Atheist organizat ...
, member of the
Academia Europaea The Academia Europaea is a pan-European Academy of humanities, letters, law, and sciences. The Academia was founded in 1988 as a functioning Europe-wide Academy that encompasses all fields of scholarly inquiry. It acts as co-ordinator of Europe ...
and sat on the international advisory board of the Institute for Science and Human Values. Pecker was also a member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).


Publications

Pecker wrote and co-wrote many books and over 700 academic papers on subjects such as
cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe, the cosmos. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', with the meaning of "a speaking of the wo ...
,
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 ...
, astrophysics,
human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
,
pseudo-science Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...
, poetry and art. He also presented paintings at exhibitions in France. He also wrote
popular science Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is more broad ranging. It may be written ...
articles and books for the general public, some of which have been translated into other languages. His books include: * ''The Sky'' (1959) * ''Astrophysique Générale'' (with
Evry Schatzman Evry Léon Schatzman (16 September 1920 – 25 April 2010) was a French scientist hailed as "the father of modern French astrophysics". Background His father, Benjamin Schatzman, was a dentist born in Tulcea, Romania, and emigrated at a young ag ...
, 1959) * ''The Orion Book of the Sky'' (Translated by William D. O'Gorman) (1960) * ''Contribution to the spectral type theory: iv Formation of lines in stellar spectra'' (1963) * ''Experimental Astronomy'' (translated by Robert Kandel) (1970) * ''Space Observatories (Astrophysics and Space Science Library)'' (1970) * ''Papa, dis-moi, qu'est-ce que c'est que l'Astronomie'' (1971) Book republished in January 2022 by Z4 Éditions. * ''Stellar Paths: Photographic Astrometry with Long-Focus Instruments'' (1981) * ''Clefs pour l'Astronomie'' (1981) * ''Understanding the Universe: the impact of space astronomy'' (ed. West) (1983) * ''Sous l'Étoile Soleil'' (1984) * ''Astronomie Flammartion'' (1986) * ''Building a world community: Humanism in the 21st century'' (ed. Paul Kurtz) (1989) * ''The Future of the Sun'' (translated Maurice Robine) (1990) * ''Pour comprendre l'Univers'' (w.Delsemme & Reeves 1988) * ''L'avenir du Soleil'' (1990) * ''Le Promeneur du Soleil'' (1992) * ''Le Soleil est une étoile'' (1992) * ''The Mars Effect'' (with Claude Benski) (1996) * ''Understanding the Heavens: 30 centuries of astronomical ideas from ancient thinking to modern cosmology'' (English edition 2001) * ''La photographie astronomique'' (2004) * ''Current issues in cosmology'' (Cambridge University Press, 2006)


Foreword of scientific literature

* Pierre Bayart, ''La méridienne de France : et l'aventure de sa prolongation jusqu'aux Baléares'', Paris, L'Harmattan, coll. « Acteurs de la science », 2007, 250 p. () * Serge Rochain, ''Histoire de la mesure des distances cosmiques : de Hipparque à Hubble'', Londres, ISTE éditions, coll. « Histoire des sciences et des techniques », 2016, 222 p. () *
Arkan Simaan Arkan Simaan (born 1945) is a Lebanese-French novelist. Biography Arkan was born in Lebanon in 1945. When he was two years old, his family immigrated to Brazil and settled in the city of Anápolis near Brasília. The 1964 Brazilian coup d'état o ...
, ''La science au péril de sa vie : Les aventuriers de la mesure du monde'', Paris, Adapt/Vuibert, coll. « Histoire des sciences », 2001, 206 p. () *
Arkan Simaan Arkan Simaan (born 1945) is a Lebanese-French novelist. Biography Arkan was born in Lebanon in 1945. When he was two years old, his family immigrated to Brazil and settled in the city of Anápolis near Brasília. The 1964 Brazilian coup d'état o ...
, ''L’Image du monde de Newton à Einstein'', Paris, Adapt/Vuibert, coll. « Histoire des sciences », 2005, 152 p. ()


Humanism

Pecker was vice-president of the French
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
committee in 1990, afterwards becoming a French permanent representative to UNESCO on behalf of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), an organisation which reflected his
humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...
approach to his life's work. Pecker spoke out against the governments punitive immigration laws, publicly supporting the National Coordination of Sans Papiers (CNSP) organisation. He was awarded the International Humanist Award for services to
Humanism Humanism is a philosophy, philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and Agency (philosophy), agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The me ...
from the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) in 2005 and acted as a permanent representative to UNESCO on behalf of the IHEU. Pecker was also a laureate of the
International Academy of Humanism The International Academy of Humanism, established in 1983, is a programme of the Council for Secular Humanism. It was established to recognize great humanists and disseminate humanist thinking. According to its declared mission, members of the ...
.


Personal life

Pecker married Charlotte Wimel in 1947 with whom he had three children: Martine Kemeny, Daniel and Laure. They divorced in 1964. In 1974 he married Anne-Marie Vormser who died in 2002. In addition to his scientific disciplines Pecker also wrote poetry and created works of art. When asked what astrophysics is for he replied,


Awards

* Commander of the
Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
* Grand Cross of the
National Order of Merit (France) National Order of Merit may refer to: * National Order of Merit (Algeria) * National Order of Merit (Bhutan) * National Order of Merit (Brazil) * National Order of Merit (Ecuador) * Ordre national du Mérite (France) * National Order of Merit ...
* Commander of the
Ordre des Palmes Académiques A suite, in Western classical music, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes; and grew in scope so that by the early 17th century it comprised up to ...
* 1966 Manley-Bendall Prize from the Academy of Bordeaux * 1967 Jules-Janssen Prize, the highest award for Astronomy from the French Astronomical Society (SAF) * 1967 Janssen Medal for significant advances in the field of astrophysics * 1969
Three Physicists Prize The Three Physicists Prize (, ) is a physics prize awarded by the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Paris and the Eugène Bloch Foundation. It is named in honour of the physicists Henri Abraham, Eugene Bloch and Georges Bruhat, who were succes ...
* 1972 Medal from the
University of Nice A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...
* 1973 Prix Jean Perrin, for popularising science to the general public * 1977 Member of the
French Academy of Sciences The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...
* 1981 Medaille de l’Adion of the
Nice Observatory The Nice Observatory () is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mount Gros. The observatory was founded in 1879, by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier (architect), Charles Garnier, ...
* 1983
Rationalist Union The Rationalist Union (French: ''Union rationaliste'') is a French nonprofit organization founded in 1930 that promotes the role of reason. Many of the members are scientists, members of the Institut de France, Nobel Prize laureates, professors ...
prize * 1984 Personalité de l'Année * 1996 Stroobant Prize from the
Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium The Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium (RASAB) is a non-governmental association that promotes and organises science and the arts in Belgium by coordinating the national and international activities of its constituent academies su ...
* 1996 Lodén Prize from the
Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala The Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala (), is the oldest of the royal academies in Sweden, having been founded in 1710. The society has, by royal decree of 1906, 50 Swedish fellows and 100 foreign. Early members included Emanuel Swedenborg an ...
* 2005 International Humanist Award, for services to
Humanism Humanism is a philosophy, philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and Agency (philosophy), agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The me ...
from the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) Pecker also has a
minor planet According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...
(1629) named in his honour, discovered by L. Boyer.


External links


Pecker biography at the Collège de France

Bibliothèque nationale de France (French national library) author reference

Pecker biography
at the Association française pour l’information scientifique


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pecker, Jean-Claude 1923 births 2020 deaths Scientists from Reims École Normale Supérieure alumni 20th-century French physicists 21st-century French physicists Commanders of the Legion of Honour Commandeurs of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques French Holocaust survivors 20th-century French astronomers French astrophysicists French humanists 20th-century French Jews French science writers Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite Members of the French Academy of Sciences French science communicators UNESCO officials French officials of the United Nations 21st-century French astronomers