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{{Short description|American astronomer}}
:''For others similarly named, see the [[Robert Aitken (disambiguation)|Robert Aitken]] navigation page''
{{Infobox scientist
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Robert Grant Aitken
| name = Robert Grant Aitken
| image = Robertgrantaitken.jpg
| image = Robertgrantaitken.jpg
| caption = Robert Grant Aitken (1864-1951)
| caption = Robert Grant Aitken (1864-1951)
| birth_date = {{birth date|1864|12|31|mf=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1864|12|31|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Jackson, California|Jackson]], [[California]]
| birth_place = [[Jackson, California]], US
| death_date = {{death date and age|1951|10|29|1864|12|31|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1951|10|29|1864|12|31|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], [[California]]
| death_place = [[Berkeley, California]], US
| residence = United States
| residence =
| nationality = American
| other_names = R.G. Aitken
| field = [[Astronomy]]
| field = [[Astronomy]]
| work_institution = [[University of California]]
| work_institution = [[University of California]], [[Lick Observatory]]
| alma_mater =
| alma_mater =
| doctoral_advisor =
| doctoral_advisor =
| doctoral_students=
| doctoral_students =
| known_for =
| known_for = Double Stars
| prizes =
| prizes =
| religion =
| religion =
| footnotes =
| footnotes =
}}
}}


'''Robert Grant Aitken''' (December 31, 1864 &ndash; October 29, 1951) was an American [[astronomer]].<ref name="Daintith, Biog Sci"/>
'''Robert Grant Aitken''' (December 31, 1864 &ndash; October 29, 1951) was an American [[astronomer]].<ref name="Daintith, Biog Sci"/>


== Early life and education ==
== Biography ==
Robert Grant Aitken was born in [[Jackson, California]], to Scottish immigrant Robert Aitken and Wilhelmina Depinau.<ref>{{cite book |last=Osterbrock |first=Donald E. |date=February 2000 |title=Aitken, Robert Grant |url=https://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1300018 |access-date=5 May 2021 |website=American National Biography |doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1300018 |isbn=978-0-19-860669-7}}</ref> Aitken attended [[Williams College]] in [[Massachusetts]] and graduated with an undergraduate degree in 1887.


== Career ==
Born in [[Jackson, California]], Aitken attended [[Williams College]] in [[Massachusetts]] and graduated with an undergraduate degree in 1887. From 1887–1891, he worked as a mathematics instructor at [[Livermore, California]], then received his M.A. from Williams College in 1892. He became a professor of mathematics at the [[College of the Pacific (University of the Pacific)|College of the Pacific]], another liberal arts school.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/> He was offered an assistant astronomer position at [[Lick Observatory]] in [[California]] in 1895.<ref name="Daintith, Biog Sci" />
From 1887–1891, he worked as a mathematics instructor at [[Livermore, California]], then received his M.A. from Williams College in 1892. He became a professor of mathematics at the [[College of the Pacific (University of the Pacific)|College of the Pacific]], another liberal arts school.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/> He was offered an assistant astronomer position at [[Lick Observatory]] in [[California]] in 1895.<ref name="Daintith, Biog Sci" />


He began a systematically study of [[double star]]s, measuring their positions and calculating their orbits around one another. From 1899, in collaboration with W. J. Hussey, he methodically created a very large catalog of such stars. This ongoing work was published in Lick Observatory bulletins.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/> In 1905, Hussey left and Aitken pressed on with the survey alone, and by 1915, he had discovered roughly 3,100 new binary stars, with an additional 1,300 discovered by Hussey. The results were published in 1932 and entitled ''New General Catalogue of Double Stars Within 120° of the North Pole'',<ref name="Daintith, Biog Sci" /> with the orbit information enabling astronomers to calculate stellar mass statistics for a large number of stars. For his work in cataloguing binary stars, he was awarded the prestigious [[Bruce Medal]] in 1926.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/>
He began a systematically study of [[double star]]s, measuring their positions and calculating their orbits around one another. From 1899, in collaboration with [[William Joseph Hussey|W. J. Hussey]], he methodically created a very large catalog of such stars. This ongoing work was published in Lick Observatory bulletins.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/> In 1905, Hussey left and Aitken pressed on with the survey alone, and by 1915, he had discovered roughly 3,100&nbsp;new binary stars, in addition to the 1,300&nbsp;discovered by Hussey. The results were published in 1932 and entitled ''New General Catalogue of Double Stars Within 120° of the North Pole'',<ref name="Daintith, Biog Sci"/> with the orbit information enabling astronomers to calculate stellar mass statistics for a large number of stars. For his work in cataloguing binary stars,<ref>{{cite book
| last = Aitken
| first = Robert G.
| title = The Binary Stars
| date = 1964| publisher = Dover| place =New York}}</ref> he was awarded the prestigious [[Bruce Medal]] in 1926.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/>


During his career, Aitken measured positions and computed orbits for [[comet]]s and [[natural satellite]]s of [[planet]]s. In 1908 he joined an eclipse expedition to [[Flint Island]] in the central [[Pacific Ocean]]. His work ''Binary Stars'' was published in 1918, with a second edition published in 1935.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/> After joining the [[Astronomical Society of the Pacific]] in 1894, Aitken was elected to serve as president in 1899 and 1915 of the [[Astronomical Society of the Pacific]]. From 1898 to 1942, Aitken was an editor of the [[Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific]]. In 1932, he delivered the Darwin Lecture before the [[Royal Astronomical Society]], where he was an associate member. From 1918 to 1928, he was chair of the double star committee for the [[International Astronomical Union]].<ref name=pasp64_376_5/>
During his career, Aitken measured positions and computed orbits for [[comet]]s and [[natural satellite]]s of [[planet]]s. In 1908 he joined an eclipse expedition to [[Flint Island]] in the central [[Pacific Ocean]]. His book ''Binary Stars'' was published in 1918, with a second edition published in 1935.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/>


After joining the [[Astronomical Society of the Pacific]] in 1894, Aitken was elected to serve as president in 1899 and 1915 of the [[Astronomical Society of the Pacific]]. From 1898 to 1942, Aitken was an editor of the [[Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific]]. In 1932, he delivered the Darwin Lecture before the [[Royal Astronomical Society]], where he was an associate member. From 1918 to 1928, he was chair of the double star committee for the [[International Astronomical Union]].<ref name=pasp64_376_5/>
⚫
Aitken was partly [[deaf]] and used a [[hearing aid]]. He married Jessie Thomas around 1888, and had three sons and one daughter. Jessie died in 1943.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/> His grandson, [[Robert Baker Aitken]], was a widely known [[Zen]] [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] teacher and author. His granddaughter [[Marjorie J. Vold]] was a noted chemist specializing in [[colloids]].

== Personal life ==
⚫
Aitken was partly [[deaf]] and used a [[hearing aid]]. He married Jessie Thomas around 1888; they had three sons and one daughter. Jessie died in 1943.<ref name=pasp64_376_5/> Their son [[Robert Thomas Aitken]] was an anthropologist who studied Pacific island cultures. Their grandson, [[Robert Baker Aitken]], was a widely known [[Zen]] [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] teacher and author. Their granddaughter [[Marjorie J. Vold]] was a noted chemist specializing in [[colloids]].


== Honors ==
== Honors ==


;Awards
;Awards and Honors
* [[Lalande Prize]] of the French Academy (1906, with [[William Hussey (astronomer)|William Hussey]])
* [[Lalande Prize]] of the French Academy (1906, with [[William Hussey (astronomer)|William Hussey]])
* Elected member of the United States [[National Academy of Sciences]] (1918)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Aitken |url=https://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/deceased-members/20001284.html |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=www.nasonline.org}}</ref>
* Elected member of the [[American Philosophical Society]] (1919)<ref>{{Cite web |title=APS Member History |url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Robert+G.+Aitken&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref>
* [[Bruce Medal]] (1926)
* [[Bruce Medal]] (1926)
* [[Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society]] (1932)
* [[Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society]] (1932)
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* Minor planet [[3070 Aitken]]
* Minor planet [[3070 Aitken]]
* Lunar crater ''[[Aitken (crater)|Aitken]]'', part of the very large [[South Pole-Aitken basin]]
* Lunar crater ''[[Aitken (crater)|Aitken]]'', part of the very large [[South Pole-Aitken basin]]
*Aitken supercomputer at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
*[[Aitken (supercomputer)|Aitken supercomputer]] at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
{{reflist|25em|refs=


<ref name="Daintith, Biog Sci">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Daintith | first=John | title=Aitken, Robert Grant | encyclopedia=Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists | volume=1 | pages=9 | publisher=Facts On File, Inc. | location=New York | year=1981 | isbn=0-87196-396-5}}</ref>
<ref name="Daintith, Biog Sci">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Daintith | first=John | title=Aitken, Robert Grant | encyclopedia=Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists | volume=1 | pages=9 | publisher=Facts On File, Inc. | location=New York | year=1981 | isbn=0-87196-396-5}}</ref>


<ref name=pasp64_376_5>{{citation | last1=Jeffers | first1=Hamilton M. | title=Robert Grant Aitken, 1864-1951 | journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific | volume=64 | issue=376 | page=5 |date=February 1952 | doi=10.1086/126408 | bibcode=1952PASP...64....5J }}</ref>
<ref name=pasp64_376_5>{{citation | last1=Jeffers | first1=Hamilton M. | title=Robert Grant Aitken, 1864-1951 | journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific | volume=64 | issue=376 | page=5 |date=February 1952 | doi=10.1086/126408 | bibcode=1952PASP...64....5J | doi-access=free }}</ref>


}}
}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Wikisource author}}
{{commonscat}}
{{commonscat}}
* [http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Aitken/index.html Bruce Medal page]
* [http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Aitken/index.html Bruce Medal page]
Line 65: Line 77:
* [http://digitalcollections.ucsc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p265101coll10/id/428/rec/1 Portrait of Robert G. Aitken from the Lick Observatory Records Digital Archive, UC Santa Cruz Library's Digital Collections]
* [http://digitalcollections.ucsc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p265101coll10/id/428/rec/1 Portrait of Robert G. Aitken from the Lick Observatory Records Digital Archive, UC Santa Cruz Library's Digital Collections]
* [https://archive.org/details/TheBinaryStars Digital version of ''The Binary Stars'' published by Dover in 1964]
* [https://archive.org/details/TheBinaryStars Digital version of ''The Binary Stars'' published by Dover in 1964]

=== Obituaries ===
=== Obituaries ===
* [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/IrAJ./0002//0000027.000.html IrAJ '''2''' (1952) 27] (one paragraph)
* [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/IrAJ./0002//0000027.000.html IrAJ '''2''' (1952) 27] (one paragraph)
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[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Lalande Prize]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Lalande Prize]]
[[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]

Latest revision as of 14:27, 27 September 2023

Robert Grant Aitken
Robert Grant Aitken (1864-1951)
Born(1864-12-31)December 31, 1864
Jackson, California, US
DiedOctober 29, 1951(1951-10-29) (aged 86)
Berkeley, California, US
Other namesR.G. Aitken
Known forDouble Stars
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
InstitutionsUniversity of California, Lick Observatory

Robert Grant Aitken (December 31, 1864 – October 29, 1951) was an American astronomer.[1]

Early life and education[edit]

Robert Grant Aitken was born in Jackson, California, to Scottish immigrant Robert Aitken and Wilhelmina Depinau.[2] Aitken attended Williams College in Massachusetts and graduated with an undergraduate degree in 1887.

Career[edit]

From 1887–1891, he worked as a mathematics instructor at Livermore, California, then received his M.A. from Williams College in 1892. He became a professor of mathematics at the College of the Pacific, another liberal arts school.[3] He was offered an assistant astronomer position at Lick Observatory in California in 1895.[1]

He began a systematically study of double stars, measuring their positions and calculating their orbits around one another. From 1899, in collaboration with W. J. Hussey, he methodically created a very large catalog of such stars. This ongoing work was published in Lick Observatory bulletins.[3] In 1905, Hussey left and Aitken pressed on with the survey alone, and by 1915, he had discovered roughly 3,100 new binary stars, in addition to the 1,300 discovered by Hussey. The results were published in 1932 and entitled New General Catalogue of Double Stars Within 120° of the North Pole,[1] with the orbit information enabling astronomers to calculate stellar mass statistics for a large number of stars. For his work in cataloguing binary stars,[4] he was awarded the prestigious Bruce Medal in 1926.[3]

During his career, Aitken measured positions and computed orbits for comets and natural satellites of planets. In 1908 he joined an eclipse expedition to Flint Island in the central Pacific Ocean. His book Binary Stars was published in 1918, with a second edition published in 1935.[3]

After joining the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in 1894, Aitken was elected to serve as president in 1899 and 1915 of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. From 1898 to 1942, Aitken was an editor of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. In 1932, he delivered the Darwin Lecture before the Royal Astronomical Society, where he was an associate member. From 1918 to 1928, he was chair of the double star committee for the International Astronomical Union.[3]

Personal life[edit]

Aitken was partly deaf and used a hearing aid. He married Jessie Thomas around 1888; they had three sons and one daughter. Jessie died in 1943.[3] Their son Robert Thomas Aitken was an anthropologist who studied Pacific island cultures. Their grandson, Robert Baker Aitken, was a widely known Zen Buddhist teacher and author. Their granddaughter Marjorie J. Vold was a noted chemist specializing in colloids.

Honors[edit]

Awards and Honors
Named after him

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Daintith, John (1981). "Aitken, Robert Grant". Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists. Vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc. p. 9. ISBN 0-87196-396-5.
  2. ^ Osterbrock, Donald E. (February 2000). Aitken, Robert Grant. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1300018. ISBN 978-0-19-860669-7. Retrieved 5 May 2021. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f Jeffers, Hamilton M. (February 1952), "Robert Grant Aitken, 1864-1951", Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 64 (376): 5, Bibcode:1952PASP...64....5J, doi:10.1086/126408
  4. ^ Aitken, Robert G. (1964). The Binary Stars. New York: Dover.
  5. ^ "Robert Aitken". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  6. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2023-09-27.

External links[edit]

Wikisource has original works by or about:
Robert Grant Aitken
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Grant Aitken.

Obituaries[edit]

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