Dirk Reuyl
Encyclopedia
Dirk Reuyl was a Dutch
American
physicist
and astronomer
. He was the cousin of astronomer Peter van de Kamp
.
in Utrecht
, Netherlands
. He came to the United States a few years before his cousin Peter van de Kamp
. He joined the staff at McCormick Observatory
in 1929 and continued to work there until 1944. He originally worked on the parallax
of star
s, first publishing a list of 50 measurements in 1929 with fellow staff member Alexander N. Vyssotsky
.
In 1941 he measured angular diameter of Mars
using photographic plates.
and other stars. He caimed that this planetary object had 10 times the mass of the planet Jupiter
and a 17 year orbital period. This caused quite a sensation at the time. A critical analysis by Wulff Heintz later discredited these claims.
and became head of the Photographic Division at the Ballistic Research Laboratory
of the U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground
in Aberdeen, Maryland
. He wrote a 1949 article for Sky and Telescope on guided missiles. During the late 1940s and the 1950s he worked on optically tracking the launch and trajectory of captured V-2 rocket
s. In 1957 Reuyl began a project for the optical tracking of the first artificial Earth satellites for the International Geophysical Year
. This project was in association with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
and tracked the first satellites launched by the U.S and Soviet Union
. Reuyl remained associated with Aberdeen through the 1960s. He died in 1972.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and 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...
. He was the cousin of 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...
.
Life
He was awarded his Ph.D from Utrecht UniversityUtrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
in Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
, Netherlands
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...
. He came to the United States a few years before his cousin 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...
. He joined the staff at McCormick Observatory
McCormick Observatory
The McCormick Observatory is one of the astronomical observatories operated by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Virginia and is situated just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia in Albemarle County on the summit of Mount Jefferson . It is named for Leander J...
in 1929 and continued to work there until 1944. He originally worked on the parallax
Parallax
Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. The term is derived from the Greek παράλλαξις , meaning "alteration"...
of star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s, first publishing a list of 50 measurements in 1929 with fellow staff member Alexander N. Vyssotsky
Alexander N. Vyssotsky
Alexander Nikolayevich Vyssotsky was an astronomer. Vyssotsky was born in Moscow, Russia, and received his master degree from Moscow State University....
.
In 1941 he measured angular diameter of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
using photographic plates.
Claim of planets
In 1943 he claimed to have discovered (with Erik Holberg) a planetary companion of the star system 70 Ophiuchi70 Ophiuchi
70 Ophiuchi a binary star system located 16.6 light years away from the Earth. It is in the constellation Ophiuchus. At magnitude 4 it is a typical less bright star usually visible to the unaided eye away from city lights.-Binary star:...
and other stars. He caimed that this planetary object had 10 times the mass of the planet Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
and a 17 year orbital period. This caused quite a sensation at the time. A critical analysis by Wulff Heintz later discredited these claims.
Later life and death
In 1944 he left McCormick ObservatoryMcCormick Observatory
The McCormick Observatory is one of the astronomical observatories operated by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Virginia and is situated just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia in Albemarle County on the summit of Mount Jefferson . It is named for Leander J...
and became head of the Photographic Division at the Ballistic Research Laboratory
Ballistic Research Laboratory
The Ballistic Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland was the center for the United States Army's research efforts in ballistics and vulnerability/lethality analysis....
of the U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground is a United States Army facility located near Aberdeen, Maryland, . Part of the facility is a census-designated place , which had a population of 3,116 at the 2000 census.- History :...
in Aberdeen, Maryland
Aberdeen, Maryland
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,842 people, 5,475 households, and 3,712 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,166.2 people per square mile . There were 5,894 housing units at an average density of 922.4 per square mile...
. He wrote a 1949 article for Sky and Telescope on guided missiles. During the late 1940s and the 1950s he worked on optically tracking the launch and trajectory of captured V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
s. In 1957 Reuyl began a project for the optical tracking of the first artificial Earth satellites for the International Geophysical Year
International Geophysical Year
The International Geophysical Year was an international scientific project that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West was seriously interrupted...
. This project was in association with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is a research institute of the Smithsonian Institution headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it is joined with the Harvard College Observatory to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics .-History:The SAO was founded in 1890 by...
and tracked the first satellites launched by the U.S and Soviet Union
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....
. Reuyl remained associated with Aberdeen through the 1960s. He died in 1972.