Origins & Early Life

Wilhelm Heinrich Walter Baade (March 24, 1893 – June 25, 1960) was a German astronomer who worked in the United States from 1931 to 1959. Baade was born as the son of a teacher in Prussia, Germany. He finished school in 1912. He then studied maths, physics and astronomy at the universities of Münster and Göttingen.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He received his PhD in 1919. Baade worked at Hamburg Observatory at Bergedorf from 1919 to 1931. In 1920 he discovered 944 Hidalgo, the first of a class of minor planets now called Centaurs which cross the orbits of giant planets. From 1931 to 1958, he worked at Mount Wilson Observatory in Los Angeles, California. In 1937, the University of Hamburg wanted Baade as successor of Richard Schorr for the Hamburg Observatory, but he refused.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

During World War II, while working at Mount Wilson Observatory, Baade took advantage of wartime blackout conditions (which reduced light pollution), to resolve stars in the center of the Andromeda Galaxy for the first time. These observations led him to define distinct "populations" for stars (Population I and Population II). The same observations led him to discover that there are two types of Cepheid...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• 1893 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1893
• March 24 (03-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 24
• 1960 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1960
• June 25 (06-25) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 25