Wilhelm Gliese
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Gliese (ˈɡliːzə; 21 June 1915 – 12 June 1993) was a German
astronomer who specialized in the study and cataloging of nearby stars.
Silesia
, the son of judge Wilhelm Gliese. He worked at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, first in Berlin
and then in Heidelberg
. While a student he was encouraged by the Dutch
astronomer Peter van de Kamp
to study nearby stars which he did for the rest of his life.
His astronomical research was interrupted when he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht in 1942 and sent to the Eastern Front
. In 1945 he was taken prisoner by the Soviets
and was not released until 1949. He finally resumed his research at the Institute which had been moved by the U.S. Army
to Heidelberg after World War II
. Although he nominally retired in 1980, he continued his research at the Institute until his death in 1993.
, originally published in 1957 and again in 1969. Some stars are best known by the catalog number he gave them, such as Gliese 581
and Gliese 710
. The Gliese catalog stars are frequent targets of study due to their proximity to Earth
. Gliese published two supplements to this catalog in 1979 and 1991 in collaboration with Hartmut Jahreiß
. Jahreiß wrote Gliese's obituary upon his death in 1993.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
astronomer who specialized in the study and cataloging of nearby stars.
Life
Gliese was born in Goldberg, now in PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, the son of judge Wilhelm Gliese. He worked at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, first in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and then in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. While a student he was encouraged by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
astronomer Peter van de Kamp
Peter van de Kamp
Piet van de Kamp , known as Peter van de Kamp in the United States, was a Dutch astronomer who lived most of his life in the United States. He was professor of astronomy at Swarthmore College and director of the college's Sproul Observatory from 1937 until 1972...
to study nearby stars which he did for the rest of his life.
His astronomical research was interrupted when he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht in 1942 and sent to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. In 1945 he was taken prisoner by the Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and was not released until 1949. He finally resumed his research at the Institute which had been moved by the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
to Heidelberg after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Although he nominally retired in 1980, he continued his research at the Institute until his death in 1993.
Catalogs of nearby stars
He is best known for his Catalogue of Nearby StarsGliese Catalogue of Nearby Stars
The Gliese Catalogue of Nearby Stars is a frequently referenced, modern star catalogue of stars located within 25 parsecs of the Earth.-First edition and supplements:...
, originally published in 1957 and again in 1969. Some stars are best known by the catalog number he gave them, such as Gliese 581
Gliese 581
Gliese 581 is a red dwarf star with spectral type M3V, located 20.3 light years away from Earth in the constellation Libra. Its estimated mass is about a third of that of the Sun, and it is the 89th closest known star system to the Sun. Observations suggest that the star has at least six planets:...
and Gliese 710
Gliese 710
Gliese 710 is a variable orange dwarf star in the constellation Serpens Cauda, with visual magnitude 9.66 and a mass of 0.4–0.6 solar masses....
. The Gliese catalog stars are frequent targets of study due to their proximity to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Gliese published two supplements to this catalog in 1979 and 1991 in collaboration with Hartmut Jahreiß
Hartmut Jahreiß
Hartmut Jahreiß is a German astronomer associated with Astronomisches Rechen-Institut specializing in the study of nearby stars.-Work:Hartmut Jahreiß obtained his Ph.D from the University of Heidelberg. His thesis was on the spatial distribution, kinetics and age of stars near the Sun...
. Jahreiß wrote Gliese's obituary upon his death in 1993.
External links
- Gliese catalog at Heidelberg University
- MitAG 77 (1994) 5–7 (Obituary in GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
)