Max Waldmeier (18 April 1912 – 26 September 2000) was a Swiss
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...
, known for his research on
sunspots
Sunspots are temporary spots on the Sun's surface that are darker than the surrounding area. They are one of the most recognizable Solar phenomena and despite the fact that they are mostly visible in the solar photosphere they usually affe ...
. 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
Johann Rudolf Wolf (7 July 1816 – 6 December 1893) was a Swiss astronomer and mathematician best known for his research on sunspots.
Wolf was born in Fällanden, near Zurich. He studied at the universities of Zurich, Vienna, and Berlin. Encke ...
in 1849.
[Jonathon Keats (2015]
"The 315-Year-Old Science Experiment"
''Nautilus'', 26 March 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
Legacy
Waldmeier was known for his "stubborn traditionalism" about how sunspots should be studied.
[ He has been variously described as "one of the leading personalities in solar physics of the 20th century"]Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
in the mid-20th century."[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waldmeier, Max
20th-century Swiss astronomers
Academic staff of ETH Zurich
1912 births
2000 deaths