William Wilson Morgan facts for kids

William Wilson Morgan (born January 3, 1906, died June 21, 1994) was an amazing American astronomer. He was a scientist who studied stars and galaxies. Morgan is best known for sorting and classifying stars and galaxies. He also helped show that our own Milky Way galaxy has spiral arms, just like a pinwheel! Besides his science work, he was a professor and director of astronomy at the University of Chicago. He even helped manage a science magazine called the Astrophysical Journal.

Discoveries in Space

William Morgan made big steps in how we understand stars and galaxies. He created ways to sort them based on their features.

Sorting Stars: The MK System

Along with another scientist named Philip Keenan, Morgan created a system to classify stars. This system is called the MK system. It uses the light (or spectra) from stars to put them into different groups. This helps astronomers understand what stars are made of and how hot they are.

Classifying Galaxies

Morgan also came up with new ways to classify galaxies. Before him, people often just guessed how galaxies looked. But Morgan used real, measurable features of galaxies to sort them.

He invented a special type of galaxy called a cD galaxy. These are huge galaxies found in the middle of galaxy clusters. In 1970, he worked with astronomer Laura P. Bautz to create the Bautz-Morgan classification. This system helps identify the richest galaxy clusters, which often contain cD galaxies.

Finding Spiral Arms

Morgan spent much of his career at Yerkes Observatory. He was even its director for a few years. There, he worked with Donald Osterbrock and Stewart Sharpless. They measured the distances to certain types of stars. Their work helped prove that our own Milky Way galaxy has spiral arms. This was a very important discovery!

Working with Scientists

For a time, Morgan was the managing editor of the Astrophysical Journal. This science magazine was started by George Hale. It helped scientists from all over the world share their discoveries about space.

His Education Journey

William Morgan first went to Washington and Lee University. But he left before finishing his last year. He then started working as a research assistant at Yerkes Observatory. This observatory is connected to the University of Chicago.

Morgan began taking classes at Yerkes. He later graduated from the University of Chicago in 1927. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He then continued his studies and received his doctorate degree in 1931.

Teaching and Leading

After getting his doctorate, Morgan stayed at the University of Chicago. He became an assistant professor in 1936. By 1947, he was a full professor. He was even promoted to a special "distinguished service professor" in 1966.

One of his early students was Nancy Grace Roman. She later became the first Chief of Astronomy at NASA. Morgan also led the University of Chicago's Department of Astronomy from 1960 to 1966.

Awards and Recognition

William Morgan received many awards for his important work.

Awards and Honors

• Bruce Medal (1958)
• Henry Norris Russell Lectureship (1961)
• Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1964)
• Henry Draper Medal of the National Academy of Sciences (1980)
• Herschel Medal (1983)
• Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1985)

Named After Him

• Asteroid 3180 Morgan

See also

In Spanish: William Wilson Morgan para niños

• Bautz-Morgan classification
• Edwin Hubble
• Gérard de Vaucouleurs
• Galaxy morphological classification
• MK system