Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld
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Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld (sitting, right)
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| Born |
Ingrid Groeneveld
21 October 1921 |
| Died | 30 March 2015 (aged 93) Oegstgeest, Netherlands
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| Nationality | Dutch |
| Known for | Minor planets |
| Spouse(s) | Cornelis Johannes van Houten |
| Children | Karel van Houten |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
| Institutions | Leiden Observatory Palomar Observatory |
Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld (born October 21, 1921 – died March 30, 2015) was an important Dutch astronomer. She spent her career studying the sky and discovering many new asteroids. She worked at the famous Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands.
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Who Was Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld?
Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1921. She grew up with a passion for science and the stars. She became a skilled astronomer, someone who studies everything outside of Earth's atmosphere. This includes planets, stars, galaxies, and smaller objects like asteroids.
Discovering Asteroids
Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld is best known for her amazing work in finding thousands of new asteroids. Asteroids are like small, rocky worlds that orbit the Sun, mostly found between Mars and Jupiter. They are much smaller than planets.
The Palomar-Leiden Survey
Ingrid worked closely with her husband, Cornelis Johannes van Houten, who was also an astronomer. They teamed up with an American astronomer named Tom Gehrels. Together, they started a huge project called the Palomar-Leiden Survey.
How They Found Asteroids
The survey involved taking many pictures of the night sky. Tom Gehrels used a special telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California, USA, to take these pictures. He used large photographic plates, which were like old-fashioned film.
After the pictures were taken, the plates were sent to the Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands. This is where Ingrid and Cornelis van Houten came in. They carefully studied these plates, looking for tiny dots of light that moved against the background of stars. If a dot moved, it was likely a new asteroid! This was very detailed and patient work.
Thousands of Discoveries
Through their hard work, Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld and her team discovered thousands of new asteroids. Each discovery helped scientists learn more about our Solar System and how it formed. Their work was very important for mapping out the space around us.
Later Life and Legacy
Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld continued her work for many years. She passed away on March 30, 2015, at the age of 93, in Oegstgeest, Netherlands. Her contributions to astronomy, especially her role in finding so many asteroids, left a lasting mark on science. She helped us understand our cosmic neighborhood much better.
See also
In Spanish: Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld para niños
