Carlos Jaschek

Carlos Jaschek (March 2, 1926 – April 12, 1999) was a German-born Argentine astrophysicist who spent time in the United States, lived in Switzerland, settled in France, became a French citizenAndrillat, Yvette. "Carlos Jaschek".
''Be Star Newsletter'' #34; pp. 6–8. 2000. Retrieved on July 3, 2017. and worked to make astronomical data accessible to all nations. As the second Director of a new center in Strasbourg, France, designed to be a computerized repository for data about the stars, he was part of its early team who were determined, clearsighted decision-makers when its resources were limited.

Jaschek began in astronomy at La Plata, in South America, later directing its Astrophysics Department. He travelled and conducted research at many observatoriesEgret, Daniel & Heck, Andre. "Carlos Jaschek (1926–1999)".
''Bull. Am. Astron. Soc.'' 31(5):1602. 1999. Retrieved on July 3, 2017. along with his wife, the stellar astronomer and spectroscopist Mercedes Jaschek, with whom he spent a lifetime collaborating in research. They lived in Argentina from 1937 to 1973. With his wife and his other colleagues, Jaschek was involved with both stellar spectroscopy and photometry, the newly-accessible infrared(IR) and ultraviolet (UV) as well as visible light, astronomical statistics and guidelines for designating stars, and with the chemically peculiar stars"Carlos & Mercedes Jaschek".
''NeglectedScience''. Retrieved on July 6, 2017.

In addition to his research discoveries, he co-created atlases and catalogues and published them. He was President of the International Astronomical Union's Commission 45 Stellar Classification. and was an early proponent of creating astronomical databases.Jaschek, C. "Information Problems in Astrophysics".
''Publ. Astron. Soc. Pac.'', 80(477):654–661. December, 1968. Retrieved on August 27, 2016.

He founded an organization to encourage research on the impact of astronomy on society, the SEAC."Carlos Jaschek Memorial Award".
SEAC website. Retrieved on July 6, 2017. The Jaschek's retired in 1993 and moved to Spain, continuing to be active in scientific endeavors. Mercedes Jaschek died in 1995, and Carlos Jaschek in 1999.

Career

Jaschek was born on March 2, 1926, in Brieg, Germany, (now Brzeg, Poland). His family moved to Argentina in South America when he was 11. In 1947, he was hired at La Plata Observatory. His wife, Mercedes Isabel Corvalán de Jaschek, was an Argentine stellar spectroscopist, who also began at the National University of La Plata in 1947.Hubert, Anne Marie. "Mercedes Jaschek".
''Be Star Newsletter'' # 31; pp. 5–6. June, 1996. Retrieved on July 4, 2017. The pair collaborated throughout their lives. Carlos Jaschek received his Ph.D. in astronomy in 1952.

After a year in the United States, he became professor in astrophysics at La Plata University and the director of the Astrophysical Department in 1957. Jaschek's initial research at La Plata involved observing minor planets. He began programs in stellar spectroscopy and worked to develop equipment particularly in photoelectric photometry. He was also involved with Argentina's fledgling radio astronomy and space program. In 1972, he organized the first astrophysics conference in Latin America.Schmadel, Lutz D. (2013). "Catalogue of minor planet names and discovery circumstances".
''Dictionary of Minor Planet Names'', 3rd Edition. Springer Science & Business Media. pp.384–385. Retrieved on July 6, 2017. .

From 1957 to 1973, Jaschek made contacts with other spectroscopists, creating lifelong collaborations with astronomers in other nations when he travelled to observatories and astronomy departments including Yerkes Observatory, Perkins Observatory, Ohio State University, the University of Michigan and elsewhere. He was Invited Professor at Perkins Observatory in 1964 and 1967, and also at the University of Chicago (Yerkes) as a research associate in 1967. He was invited professor at the Argentine National Observatory at Córdoba in 1968. In 1970, he was invited professor at Cordoba, Ohio State University, and at Geneva University. Mercedes Jaschek also conducted research at Cordoba, Perkins, Yerkes, Michigan and Geneva.

From 1970 to 1973, Jaschek was the vice president of the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) Commission 45 Stellar Classification, and he became president of that commission in 1973."Carlos O. R. Jaschek".
IAU Individual Members. Retrieved on July 4, 2017. He moved from La Plata to Europe in 1973 due to the political situation.
''Archive.is''. Archived from astro.u-strasbg.fr on May 29, 2012. Retrieved on July 4, 2017. There was political instability at that time in Argentina. "Timeline: Argentina".
'' BBC News''; see 1973. Last updated July, 2012. Retrieved on July 5, 2017.

In 1973, Jaschek was again at Geneva University as invited professor. He was then hired as an associate professor at Strasbourg University. He was at Strasbourg from 1974 to 1993, and he became a French citizen, as did his wife. He later became full professor, and supervised many students.

Jaschek encouraged the development of automated methods for stellar classification classifying stars. He also encouraged the development of astronomical data bases. He was "a force behind the development of the C.D.S," the ''Center de Données Stellaires'' (Center of Stellar Data). In 1968, Jaschek had described the problem of the increasing volume of astronomical data without adequate means of collecting and distributing it:

After a year at Geneva, Jaschek became Director of the '' Center de Données Stellaires''(CDS) in Strasbourg. The CDS, begun in 1972, was an innovative but challenging project to create a central repository for astronomical data, an idea "even questioned by many French astronomers". In 1974, its first director, Jean Jung, changed careers. Carlos Jaschek officially began as Director in 1975, and Mercedes Jaschek strengthened the Center's limited scientific staff. In 1977, Jaschek summarized the strengths and weakness of the world's astronomical data bases and noted that, with the exception of peculiar stars, considerable advances were being made. Jaschek noted:

Jaschek directed the Center of Stellar Data (CDS) from 1975 to 1990, As Director, he was "instrumental in organizing world-wide access to astronomical data with special sensitivity to third-world countries. As the second director of CDS, Jaschek's 15-year term was said to have brought "spectacular progress for CDS" by increasing its international reputation as it was established as the leading astronomical data base. When it expanded its focus from stars to include other non-solar system astronomical objects, it changed its name from ''Center de Données Stellaires'' to the '' Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg'' (The Center of astronomical Data of Strasbourg).Heck, Andre. "Strasbourg Astronomical Observatory and its multinational history: the first CDS directors".
''The Multinational History of Strasbourg Astronomical Observatory''. (2005). Edited by Andre Heck. Springer Science & Business Media. See pp. 25–27. Retrieved on July 4, 2017. .

As Director, Jaschek was concerned with improving astronomical naming conventions. In 1979 at an IAU meeting in Canada, over 100 astronomers from 15 Commissions met regarding the designation of objects, and before William P. Bidelman

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