Merle Gold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Merle Gold
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|---|---|
| Born | 7 March 1921 |
| Died | 29 September 2017 (age 96) |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago |
| Spouse(s) | Thomas Gold |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrophysics |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge |
| Thesis | The variations of absorption line contours across the solar disc |
| Doctoral advisor | Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar |
Merle Eleanor Gold (born Merle Tuberg) was an American scientist. She lived from March 7, 1921, to September 29, 2017. Merle Gold was an astrophysicist. This means she studied space and the universe. She was famous for her work on the Sun. She worked with Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, a scientist who won a Nobel Prize.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Merle Gold was born on March 7, 1921. She grew up in a town called Rochester, Minnesota. Her parents were Nathaniel and Eleanor Tuberg.
High School and Early Training
In 1939, Merle finished high school. She was the best student in her class. After high school, she trained for two years. She learned to be a medical secretary at the Mayo Clinic.
University Studies
Merle then went to the University of Chicago. She studied there to get her first college degree. After that, she continued her studies. She earned her PhD in astrophysics. She did this at Yerkes Observatory. Her teacher for her PhD was Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.
Her Research on the Sun
For her PhD, Merle studied the Sun. Her main project was about "absorption lines." These are like dark lines in the light from the Sun. She looked at how these lines changed. She studied them as she looked across the Sun's surface.
Research and Career
After finishing her studies, Merle continued her science work.
Post-doctoral Fellowship
In 1946, Merle Gold received a special award. It was a post-doctoral fellowship. This allowed her to do more research. She went to the University of Cambridge in England.
Published Work
After her main thesis, Merle published one more science paper. This paper was about groups of nebulae. Nebulae are huge clouds of gas and dust in space. She studied how long these groups of nebulae lived. These nebulae were found outside our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
Later Career
In 1971, Merle changed her career path. She started working as an editor. She worked at the Cornell School of Agriculture. She stayed in this job until she retired.
Personal Life
Merle Gold had a family life too.
Marriage and Family
In 1947, she married another astronomer. His name was Thomas Gold. They had three children together.
Later Years
Merle and Thomas Gold divorced in 1971. Merle Gold passed away on September 29, 2017. She was living in Ithaca, New York at the time.
