Waltraut Seitter facts for kids

Waltraut Seitter (born January 13, 1930 – died November 15, 2007) was a German astronomer. She made history by becoming the first woman in Germany to hold a top position in astronomy. This was a big step for women in science!

Early Life and Education

Waltraut Carola Seitter was born in Zwickau, Germany, in 1930. Her father worked as an engineer. Waltraut went to school in Cologne. She finished high school in 1949. Before that, she had different jobs. She worked as a tramway ticket collector and helped refugees. She was also a draftswoman.

After high school, she went to university. She studied many subjects. These included physics, mathematics, chemistry, and astronomy. She later received a special grant. This was from the Fulbright Program. It allowed her to study at Smith College in the United States. In 1955, she earned her Master of Arts degree in physics. She then became an astronomy instructor.

A Career Among the Stars

From 1958 to 1962, Waltraut Seitter worked at Hoher List Observatory. This observatory belonged to Bonn University. She earned her Ph.D. there. She held several roles at the university. These included assistant and observer.

In 1967, she was a guest professor. She taught at Vanderbilt University in the USA. After that, she became a professor at Smith College. In 1975, she returned to Germany. She was offered a special position. This was the chair of astronomy at Muenster University. She was the first woman in Germany to hold such a high astronomy position! She also became the director of the astronomical institute. She worked there until she retired in 1995.

Important Discoveries and Projects

While at Bonn University, Waltraut Seitter studied stars. She looked at how many stars there were. She also classified stars by their light. She published a book called the Bonn Spectral Atlas. It had two volumes.

At Muenster, she led a team of young scientists. They started the Muenster Redshift Project (MRSP). This project helped measure how fast galaxies move away from us. They used special telescope plates for this. They also created the Muenster Red Sky Survey. This was a catalog of galaxies in the southern sky.

Using the MRSP data, they found something important. They saw early signs of the cosmological constant. This idea helps explain why the universe is expanding faster. Other big studies later proved this idea.

Waltraut Seitter also spent much of her career studying novae. These are stars that suddenly become very bright. She also researched other eruptive stars. These are stars that have sudden outbursts.

Exhibitions and Personal Life

Waltraut Seitter also organized interesting exhibits. One was called "Women in Astronomy." Another was "Science in Exile." She also organized "Kepler and his times." This was about the famous astronomer Johannes Kepler. She also helped arrange many international astronomy meetings.

In 1975, Waltraut Seitter married Hilmar Duerbeck. He was also an astronomer.

A special honor was given to her. An asteroid was named after her! It is called (4893) Seitter.

See also

In Spanish: Waltraut Seitter para niños