John S. Paraskevopoulos
Encyclopedia
John Stefanos Paraskevopoulos (June 20, 1889 – March 15, 1961) was a Greek/South African astronomer
. He was born in Piraeus
, Greece
and graduated from the University of Athens. He served in the Greek army during the Balkan Wars
and World War I
. In 1919, he went to America for two years, spending part of that time working at Yerkes Observatory
where he met and married Dorothy W. Block. In 1921, he returned to Athens where he became head of the Athens Observatory. He left this post due to a lack of funding and went to Arequipa
, Peru
to work at Boyden Station, a branch of Harvard Observatory, with a view to finding a more suitable location for it. The decision was made to move Boyden Station to South Africa
due to better weather conditions, and Paraskevopoulos served there as director of Boyden Observatory
in South Africa
from 1927 to 1951. He co-discovered a couple of comet
s. The crater Paraskevopoulos
on the Moon
is named after him.
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...
. He was born in Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and graduated from the University of Athens. He served in the Greek army during the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1919, he went to America for two years, spending part of that time working at Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The observatory, which calls itself "the birthplace of modern astrophysics," was founded in 1897 by George Ellery Hale and financed by Charles T. Yerkes...
where he met and married Dorothy W. Block. In 1921, he returned to Athens where he became head of the Athens Observatory. He left this post due to a lack of funding and went to Arequipa
Arequipa
Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
to work at Boyden Station, a branch of Harvard Observatory, with a view to finding a more suitable location for it. The decision was made to move Boyden Station to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
due to better weather conditions, and Paraskevopoulos served there as director of Boyden Observatory
Boyden Observatory
Boyden Observatory is a South African astronomical research observatory and science education centre.-History:The observatory was originally founded in 1889 by the Harvard University at Mount Hardvard near Lima, Peru, but relocated to Arequipa, Peru in October 1890.Significant work done at Arequipa...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
from 1927 to 1951. He co-discovered a couple of comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s. The crater Paraskevopoulos
Paraskevopoulos (crater)
Paraskevopoulos is an old lunar crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, in the higher northern latitudes. It lies just to the southwest of the younger and somewhat larger crater Carnot. To the southwest is the smaller crater Stoletov, and to the southeast lies Fowler.This is a...
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named after him.
External links
Obituaries
- JRASC 45 (1951) 126 (one paragraph)
- MNRAS 112 (1952) 277
- Nature 167 (1951) 753
- Obs 71 (1951) 88 (one line)
- PASP 63 (1951) 212 (one paragraph)
- Sky and Telescope 10 (1951) 169