MAARTEN SCHMIDT - AUTOGRAPH 05/15/1974 - HFSID 71379

MAARTEN SCHMIDT
The well-respected Dutch astronomer signs this white card in blue ink
Signature: “M. Schmidt/ May 15, 1974”, in blue ink, 3½x2. Maarten Schmidt (b.1929) is a Dutch astronomer known for measuring the distances of quasars. Schmidt studied with Jan Hendrik Oort, the renowned Dutch astronomer who made significant contributions to the understanding of the Milky Way and was one of the leading figures in the field of radio astronomy. In 1956, he earned his Ph.D. degree from Leiden Observatory. He then immigrated to the United States and commenced working at the California Institute of Technology. Initially, he worked on theories about dynamics of galaxies and mass distribution. During this period, he helped formulate what has come to be known as the Kennicutt-Schmidt law, which is essentially an empirical relation between the gas density and star formation rate in a given region. Later on, he began studying the light spectra of radio sources. Using the famous 200-inch reflector telescope located at the Palomar Observatory, Schmidt identified a visible object known as 3C 273 that corresponded to one of the radio sources he had been studying. Schmidt called 3C 273 a "quasi-stellar" object or a quasar. His identification of the wavelengths of the radiation emitted by quasars led to the theory that they may be among the most distant, and the oldest, objects ever observed, Since his discovery, thousands of quasars have been identified. Lightly toned at edges. Pencil note on verso. Otherwise, fine condition.