| Rudolph Minkowski | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 28, 1895 Strasbourg, German Empire |
| Died | January 4, 1976 (aged 80) Berkeley, California |
| Nationality | Germany |
| Fields | astronomy |
| Institutions | Palomar Observatory |
| Known for | supernovae |
| Notable awards | Bruce Medal in 1961 |
Rudolph Minkowski (born Rudolf Leo Bernhard Minkowski) (May 28, 1895 – January 4, 1976) was a German-American astronomer. His father was the physiologist Oskar Minkowski and his uncle was Hermann Minkowski.
Rudolph studied supernovae and, together with Walter Baade, divided them into two classes (Type I and Type II) based on their spectral characteristics. He and Baade also found optical counterparts to various radio sources.
He headed the National Geographic Society – Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, a photographic atlas of the entire northern sky (and down to declination -22°) up to magnitude 22.
He co-discovered the Apollo asteroid 1620 Geographos, and also discovered Planetary Nebula M2-9.
He won the Bruce Medal in 1961. The crater Minkowski on the Moon is named after him and his uncle.
| 1620 Geographos | September 14, 1951 | with A. G. Wilson |