Norman H. Baker was a professor of
astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...
at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. He was born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota on October 23, 1931, and died on October 11, 2005, in Watertown, New York.
His research primarily involved computational investigations of
stellar structure
Stellar structure models describe the internal structure of a star in detail and make predictions about the luminosity, the color and the future evolution of the star. Different classes and ages of stars have different internal structures, reflec ...
and evolution; in particular, he focused on pulsating
variable stars
A variable star is a star whose brightness as seen from Earth (its apparent magnitude) changes with time. This variation may be caused by a change in emitted light or by something partly blocking the light, so variable stars are classified as e ...
and he is considered as one of the founders of modern
pulsation
A pulse, in physiology, is the throbbing of arteries resulting from heartbeat.
Pulse, The Pulse or Pulses may also refer to:
Botany
* Pulse (legume), any agriculturally significant annual leguminous food crop, such as peas, beans, lentils, and ...
theory. From 1975 until 1983, he was the editor of the ''
Astronomical Journal
''The Astronomical Journal'' (often abbreviated ''AJ'' in scientific papers and references) is a peer-reviewed monthly scientific journal owned by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and currently published by IOP Publishing. It is one of the p ...
'' and served as president of IAU Commission 27 during the term of 1982 - 1985.
Links
*
References
American astronomers
Columbia University faculty
Cornell University alumni
1931 births
2005 deaths
The Astronomical Journal editors
{{US-astronomer-stub