Wallace L. W. Sargent

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Wallace Leslie William Sargent (February 15, 1935 – ) is an American astronomer. He is often known as Wal Sargent. Although now a U.S. citizen, he was born in Elsham, England. He received his Ph.D. in 1959 from Manchester University before coming to work at Caltech where he has worked ever since (excepting an absence of four years during which he claims to have had to go back to England to find himself a wife, Anneila Sargent).

Sargent is known for his studies of quasar absorption lines. He is currently the Ira S. Bowen Professor of Astronomy at Caltech.

He is married to fellow Caltech astronomer Anneila Sargent. They are a much admired couple in the Astronomy Department. His students affectionately refer to him as "the Turtle."