Waltraut Seitter
Encyclopedia
Waltraut Seitter was a German astronomer
.
Waltraut Carola Seitter was born in Zwickau
in 1930, where her father worked as an engineer with the Horch
automobile company. She went to school in Cologne
, where she finished high school in 1949 (after jobs as tramway ticket collector, refugee aide, and draftswoman), and entered the university to study physics, mathematics, chemistry and astronomy. She continued her
studies at Smith College
in Northampton, Massachusetts
with a grant from the Fulbright Program
, obtained her Master of Arts in physics in 1955, and became astronomy instructor. From 1958 to 1962 she worked at Hoher List Observatory of Bonn University, obtained her Ph.D., and held the positions of assistant, observer, and extranumeral professor at Bonn University. In 1967, she was a guest
professor of the American Astronomical Society
at
Vanderbilt University
in Nashville, Tennessee
, afterwards
professor at Smith College (since 1973, Eliza Appleton Haven Professor
for Astronomy). In 1975, she was called to the chair of astronomy at Muenster University in Germany (the first woman in Germany to hold an astronomy chair), and became director of the astronomical institute up to her retirement in 1995.
When in Bonn, she worked on problems of stellar statistics and on spectral classification of stars, publishing the Bonn Spectral Atlas (in two volumes). In Muenster, with a dedicated team of young researchers, she organized the Muenster Redshift Project (MRSP), a method to derive redshifts from UK Schmidt telescope objective prism plates, and the Muenster Red Sky Survey, a galaxy catalogue of the southern hemisphere, based on ESO Schmidt diret red plates. With the MRSP data, first indications of the action of the cosmological constant
were found, shortly before major supernova searches established its existence without doubt.
During most of her career, she also did research on novae and related eruptive stars.
Exhibits arranged by her include Women in Astronomy, and Science in Exile (Smith College), as well as Kepler and his times (Muenster
1980). She also organized several international astronomical meetings.
Since 1975, Waltraut Seitter was married to Hilmar Duerbeck, a fellow astronomer.
The asteroid
(4893) Seitter
is named after her.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
.
Waltraut Carola Seitter was born in Zwickau
Zwickau
Zwickau in Germany, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau...
in 1930, where her father worked as an engineer with the Horch
Horch
Horch was a car brand manufactured in Germany by August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century.-History at a Glance:The company was established first by August Horch and his first business partner Salli Herz on November 14, 1899 at Ehrenfeld, Cologne. August Horch was a former production...
automobile company. She went to school in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, where she finished high school in 1949 (after jobs as tramway ticket collector, refugee aide, and draftswoman), and entered the university to study physics, mathematics, chemistry and astronomy. She continued her
studies at Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
in Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
with a grant from the Fulbright Program
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
, obtained her Master of Arts in physics in 1955, and became astronomy instructor. From 1958 to 1962 she worked at Hoher List Observatory of Bonn University, obtained her Ph.D., and held the positions of assistant, observer, and extranumeral professor at Bonn University. In 1967, she was a guest
professor of the American Astronomical Society
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
at
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, afterwards
professor at Smith College (since 1973, Eliza Appleton Haven Professor
for Astronomy). In 1975, she was called to the chair of astronomy at Muenster University in Germany (the first woman in Germany to hold an astronomy chair), and became director of the astronomical institute up to her retirement in 1995.
When in Bonn, she worked on problems of stellar statistics and on spectral classification of stars, publishing the Bonn Spectral Atlas (in two volumes). In Muenster, with a dedicated team of young researchers, she organized the Muenster Redshift Project (MRSP), a method to derive redshifts from UK Schmidt telescope objective prism plates, and the Muenster Red Sky Survey, a galaxy catalogue of the southern hemisphere, based on ESO Schmidt diret red plates. With the MRSP data, first indications of the action of the cosmological constant
Cosmological constant
In physical cosmology, the cosmological constant was proposed by Albert Einstein as a modification of his original theory of general relativity to achieve a stationary universe...
were found, shortly before major supernova searches established its existence without doubt.
During most of her career, she also did research on novae and related eruptive stars.
Exhibits arranged by her include Women in Astronomy, and Science in Exile (Smith College), as well as Kepler and his times (Muenster
1980). She also organized several international astronomical meetings.
Since 1975, Waltraut Seitter was married to Hilmar Duerbeck, a fellow astronomer.
The asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
(4893) Seitter
4893 Seitter
4893 Seitter is a main-belt asteroid discovered on August 9, 1986 by Elst and Ivanova at Rozhen.- External links :*...
is named after her.