Bertil Lindblad
Encyclopedia
Bertil Lindblad
Bertil Lindblad (Örebro
, 26 November 1895 – Saltsjöbaden
(outside Stockholm
, 25 June 1965) was a Swedish astronomer
.
After finishing his secondary education at Örebro högre allmänna läroverk, Lindblad matriculated at Uppsala University
in 1914. He received his filosofie magister degree in 1917, his filosofie licentiat degree in 1918 and completed his doctorate and became a docent at the university in 1920. From 1927 he was professor and astronomer of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
and head of the Stockholm Observatory
. In the latter capacity he was responsible for the observatory's move from the old building
in the centre of Stockholm to a newly built facility in Saltsjöbaden Observatory, which was opened in 1931.
Lindblad studied the theory of the rotation of galaxies
. By making careful observations of the apparent motions of stars, he was able study the rotation of the Galaxy
. He deduced that the rate of rotation of the stars in the outer part of the galaxy, where the Sun is located, decreased with distance from the galactic core. This deduction was soon confirmed by Jan Oort in 1927. A certain
class of resonances in rotating stellar
or gaseous disks are named Lindblad resonances, after Bertil Lindblad.
His son, Per-Olof Lindblad, also became an astronomer.
Named after him
Bertil Lindblad (Örebro
Örebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
, 26 November 1895 – Saltsjöbaden
Saltsjöbaden
Saltsjöbaden is a locality situated in Nacka Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 8,937 inhabitants in 2005. It is located on the coast of the Baltic Sea.- History :...
(outside Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, 25 June 1965) was a Swedish astronomer
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...
.
After finishing his secondary education at Örebro högre allmänna läroverk, Lindblad matriculated at Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
in 1914. He received his filosofie magister degree in 1917, his filosofie licentiat degree in 1918 and completed his doctorate and became a docent at the university in 1920. From 1927 he was professor and astronomer of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
and head of the Stockholm Observatory
Stockholm Observatory
The Stockholm Observatory is an astronomical institution in Stockholm, Sweden, founded in the 18th century and today part of Stockholm University...
. In the latter capacity he was responsible for the observatory's move from the old building
in the centre of Stockholm to a newly built facility in Saltsjöbaden Observatory, which was opened in 1931.
Lindblad studied the theory of the rotation of galaxies
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
. By making careful observations of the apparent motions of stars, he was able study the rotation of the Galaxy
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
. He deduced that the rate of rotation of the stars in the outer part of the galaxy, where the Sun is located, decreased with distance from the galactic core. This deduction was soon confirmed by Jan Oort in 1927. A certain
class of resonances in rotating stellar
Stellar
Stellar is an adjective referring to one or more stars. It may also refer to:* Hyundai Stellar, a car built by Hyundai Motor Company* "Stellar*", a New Zealand-based rock band.* "Stellar" , a song by Incubus...
or gaseous disks are named Lindblad resonances, after Bertil Lindblad.
His son, Per-Olof Lindblad, also became an astronomer.
Honors
Awards- Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical SocietyGold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society-History:In the early years, more than one medal was often awarded in a year, but by 1833 only one medal was being awarded per year. This caused a problem when Neptune was discovered in 1846, because many felt an award should jointly be made to John Couch Adams and Urbain Le Verrier...
(1948) - Bruce MedalBruce MedalThe Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal is awarded every year by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for outstanding lifetime contributions to astronomy. It is named after Catherine Wolfe Bruce, an American patroness of astronomy, and was first awarded in 1898...
(1954)
Named after him
- Lindblad (crater)Lindblad (crater)Lindblad is an old lunar crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the northwestern limb. This formation is located to the southeast of the crater Brianchon, and northeast of Cremona....
on the MoonMoonThe 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... - AsteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
1448 Lindbladia1448 Lindbladia1448 Lindbladia is a main-belt asteroid discovered on February 16, 1938 by Y. Vaisala at Turku.- External links :*...
External links
- http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/brucemedalists/lindblad -- 1954 Bruce Medalist Profile (with portrait)