Robert Kraft (astronomer)

Robert Paul "Bob" Kraft (June 16, 1927 – May 26, 2015) was an American astronomer.[1] He performed pioneering work on Cepheid variables, stellar rotation, novae, and the chemical evolution of the Milky Way. His name is also associated with the Kraft break: the abrupt change in the average rotation rate of main sequence stars around spectral type F8.[2]

Robert Kraft
Born(1927-06-16)June 16, 1927
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
DiedMay 26, 2015(2015-05-26) (aged 87)
Santa Cruz, California
Nationality United States
Alma materUniversity of Washington, University of California at Berkeley
Known forKraft break
Scientific career
Doctoral advisorGeorge Herbig

Career

Kraft served as director of the Lick Observatory (1981–1991), president of the American Astronomical Society (1974–1976), and president of the International Astronomical Union (1997–2000).[3]

He received his B.S. at the University of Washington in 1947, M.S. in mathematics at the University of Washington in 1949, and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.[4] He died in 2015.[5]

Honors

Awards

Named after him
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References
  1. Daintith, John (2008-08-18). Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists, Third Edition. google.ca. ISBN 9781420072723.
  2. Kraft, R. P. (1967), "Studies of Stellar Rotation. V. The Dependence of Rotation on Age among Solar-Type Stars", Astrophysical Journal, 150: 551, Bibcode:1967ApJ...150..551K, doi:10.1086/149359
  3. "Robert P. Kraft, eminent astronomer and former director of UC Observatories, dies at age 87". UC Santa Cruz News.
  4. Kraft, Robert P. (2009). "An Astronomical Life Salted by Pure Chance". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 47 (1): 1–26. Bibcode:2009ARA&A..47....1K. doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-082708-101743.
  5. "Robert P. Kraft, eminent astronomer and former director of UC Observatories, dies at age 87". UC Santa Cruz News. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  6. "The Bruce Medalists: Robert P. Kraft". Retrieved 2010-02-01.

Further reading


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