Struve, Otto

Struve, Otto
born Aug. 12, 1897, Kharkov, Ukraine, Russian Empire
died April 6, 1963, Berkeley, Calif., U.S.

Russian-born U.S. astronomer.

The great-grandson of Friedrich G.W. von Struve, he suspended his studies to serve in the Russian army in World War I before immigrating to the U.S. On the staff of Yerkes Observatory, he made important contributions to stellar spectroscopy and astrophysics, notably the discovery of the widespread distribution of hydrogen and other elements in space. He served as director of Yerkes (beginning 1932) and later of McDonald Observatory in Texas, which he organized. He later taught at the University of Chicago (beginning 1947) and UC-Berkeley, and he directed the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, W.V. (1959–62). A prolific writer, he published about 700 papers and several books.

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▪ American astronomer
born Aug. 12, 1897, Kharkov, Ukraine, Russian Empire [now Kharkiv, Ukraine]
died April 6, 1963, Berkeley, Calif., U.S.

      Russian-American astronomer known for his contributions to stellar spectroscopy, notably the discovery of the widespread distribution of hydrogen and other elements in space.

      Struve was the last member of a dynasty of astronomers and a great-grandson of the noted astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve. His studies at the University of Kharkov were interrupted for service in the Imperial Russian Army (1916–18) and, after the Russian Revolution, in the White Russian Army (1919–20). He endured months of privation in Turkey after the collapse of the White Army, but in 1921 he was able to emigrate to the United States, where, as a staff member at Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wis., he began the investigations in stellar spectroscopy (the study of the properties of stars through the analysis of the wavelengths of their light) that yielded his most notable contributions to stellar astrophysics. From his studies of Delta Orionis and other stars, he found that the spectrum of light from distant hot stars sometimes contains a dark (absorption) line corresponding to calcium, although this could not be caused by calcium present in the star itself. In 1925 he attributed this stationary calcium line to vast clouds of calcium found primarily in the galactic plane.

      Struve became director of Yerkes Observatory in 1932, and in the same year he organized McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, Texas, of which he later became director. In 1938, after a two-year search, he established the presence of hydrogen in interstellar space. That discovery later proved of prime importance in the development of radio astronomy. He demonstrated that many stars rotate rapidly on their axes, some with rotation periods of a day or less. His studies of many stars with variable luminosity and of the spectra of double, multiple, and peculiar stars were extensive.

      In 1947 Struve retired as director of Yerkes and McDonald observatories and became chairman of the astronomy department of the University of Chicago. In 1950 he accepted the directorship of the Leuschner Observatory at the University of California, Berkeley, and from 1959 to 1962 he was director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank, W.Va. As vice president of the International Astronomical Union from 1948 to 1952 and president from 1952 to 1955, he was instrumental in preventing Cold War tension from destroying that organization. A prolific writer, he published about 700 papers. His major books include Stellar Evolution (1950) and The Universe (1962).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Struve , Otto — (1897–1963) Russian–American astronomer Struve, who was born at Kharkov in Russia, came from a long line of distinguished astronomers, being the great grandson of its founder Friedrich Georg von Struve. His father was the professor of astronomy… …   Scientists

  • Struve, Otto — ► (1897 1963) Astrónomo ruso. Emigró a E.U.A. en 1921, donde fue presidente de la Unión Astronómica Internacional en 1952 55. En 1938 demostró la existencia del hidrógeno interestelar. Es autor de extensos estudios sobre estrellas variables,… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Otto Wilhelm Struve — Otto Wilhelm von Struve Otto von Struve (Kyrillisch Отто Васильевич Струве; * 7. Mai 1819 in Dorpat, Estland; † 16. April 1905 in Karlsruhe) war ein deutsch baltischer Astronom. Leben Struv …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Struve — may refer to one of the following: *Astronomers: *: Jacob Struve (1755 ndash;1841) *: Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (1793 ndash;1864), son of the preceding *: Otto Wilhelm von Struve (1819 ndash;1905), son of the preceding *: Gustav Wilhelm… …   Wikipedia

  • Otto Wilhelm von Struve — (Kyrillisch Отто Васильевич Струве; * 25. Apriljul./ 7. Mai 1819greg. in Dorpat, Estland; † 16. April 1905 in Karlsruhe) war ei …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Struve — puede hacer referencia a: Astrónomos (formaron una especie de dinastía científica) Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (1793–1864). Otto Wilhelm von Struve (1819–1905), hijo del anterior. Ludwig Struve (1858–1920), hijo del anterior. Hermann… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Otto wilhelm von struve — Attention de ne pas le confondre avec son petit fils Otto Struve (1897–1963) Otto Wilhelm von Struve (7 mai 1819 (25 avril dans le calendrier julien) à Dorpat, maintenant T …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Otto Struve — Otto von Struve, auch Otto Struve (* 12. August 1897 in Charkow, Russland; † 6. April 1963 in Berkeley (Kalifornien), USA) war ein russisch amerikanischer Astronom deutsch baltischer Abstammung. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Otto Wilhelm von Struve — Otto Wilhelm von Struve. Otto Wilhelm von Struve (7 de mayo de 1819 (25 de abril según el calendario juliano), en Durpat, Estonia 14 de abril de 1905, en Karlsruhe, Alemania) fue un astrónomo ruso …   Wikipedia Español

  • Struve — Struve, Otto * * * (as used in expressions) Struve, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, Otto Struve, Piotr (Berngárdovich) …   Enciclopedia Universal

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