Rudolph Minkowski

Rudolph Minkowski

Born May 28, 1895(1895-05-28)
Strasbourg, German Empire
Died January 4, 1976(1976-01-04) (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.

Asteroids discovered: 1
1620 Geographos September 14, 1951 with A. G. Wilson

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