Elsa van Dien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elsa van Dien
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 12 July 1914 Paramaribo, Suriname
|
| Died | 15 October 2007 (aged 93) Netherlands
|
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Other names | Elsa van Albada-van Dien |
| Alma mater | University of Amsterdam, Radcliffe College |
| Occupation | astronomer |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrophysics, Variable Stars |
| Institutions | University of Amsterdam, Harvard, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Bosscha Observatory |
| Doctoral advisor | Donald Howard Menzel |
| Influences | Anton Pannekoek |
Elsa van Dien (born 12 July 1914 – died 15 October 2007) was a Dutch astronomer. She earned her PhD from Harvard University in the United States. She later married Gale Bruno van Albada, who was also an astronomer.
Contents
About Elsa van Dien
Elsa van Dien was born in Paramaribo, Suriname, on 12 July 1914. Her parents were Rebecca da Silva and Gerrit van Dien. In 1923, her family moved to the Netherlands.
Early Studies and Challenges
Elsa started studying astronomy at the University of Amsterdam in 1932. To get access to a special observatory, she also registered at the Leiden University in 1935.
After finishing her studies, she began teaching at a school in Zaandam. However, on 21 November 1940, she lost her teaching job. This happened because she was Jewish, during a very difficult time in history.
When people began to be deported, Elsa went into hiding. She stayed with Reverend J.C.S. Locher in Leiden and managed to survive the war.
PhD and Research
Elsa was given a scholarship to study at Radcliffe College in September 1939. But because of World War II, she could not start her PhD until September 1945. She also received support from the American Association of University Women.
Her PhD research was supervised by Donald Menzel. She studied something called the Stark effect in the light from certain types of stars. This helped scientists understand more about how stars work.
Career and Later Life
After getting her PhD, Elsa first worked at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Canada. In 1948, she moved back to the Netherlands.
In August 1948, she took a job at the Bosscha Observatory in Indonesia. There, she met and married Gale Bruno van Albada. She continued her astronomy research until 1958, when her family returned to the Netherlands.
From 1965 to 1972, Elsa edited a Dutch science journal called Wetenschap en Maatschappij. After her husband passed away in 1972, she started her astronomy research again in the 1970s and 1980s.
See also
- In Spanish: Elsa van Dien para niños
