Famous Dutch Astronomers

From proposing the wave theory of light to discovering the actual shape of the rings of Saturn and inventing the pendulum clock, Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens had contributed a lot to science. Born to a diplomat, Huygens had the privilege of an elite education but remain sickly throughout his life.

Gerard Kuiper was blessed with an unusually sharp eyesight and could see stars clearly with the naked eye. The Dutch-born scientist later moved to the U.S., where he established the University of Arizona’s LPL. He also initiated research on the belt of comets surrounding the Sun, known as the Kuiper belt.

Jan Oort was a Dutch astronomer whose ground-breaking discoveries revolutionized astronomy. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's greatest astronomers, Jan Oort's work helped understand the Milky Way. He also pioneered radio astronomy and was honored with several prestigious awards like the Bruce Medal, Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Janssen Medal, and Prix Jules Janssen.

Willebrord Snell was a Dutch mathematician and astronomer. He is credited with rediscovering the law of refraction, which is named Snell's law in his honor. A much-revered mathematician in the Netherlands, Willebrord Snell was honored by the Royal Netherlands Navy by naming three of its survey ships after him. Snellius, a lunar crater, is also named in his honor.

Willem de Sitter was a Dutch physicist, mathematician, and astronomer. A respected figure, Willem de Sitter served as the director of the famous Leiden Observatory from 1919 to 1934. He worked alongside Albert Einstein and made important discoveries in the field of physical cosmology. He was the recipient of the James Craig Watson Medal, Bruce Medal, and Prix Jules Janssen. 

Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn was a Dutch astronomer best remembered for his studies of the Milky Way. He proved the existence of galactic rotation and was also among the first astronomers to talk about the existence of dark matter as early as 1922. Over the course of his career, Kapteyn was honored with many awards like the James Craig Watson Medal.

John Goodricke was an English astronomer best remembered for his observations of the Demon Star in 1782. The following year, he was honored with the prestigious Copley Medal for his work. In 1786, John Goodricke was made a member of the Royal Society.

A renowned professor of Leiden University, Dutch astronomer Alexander Ollongren has also taught at Yale. Born in the Dutch East Indies, he spent his childhood in Japanese internment camps after the Japanese occupation, before moving to the Netherlands. He has also been associated with SETI.

Dutch-American astronomer, teacher, and lecturer Bartholomeus Jan "Bart" Bok is best remembered for working on the structure and evolution of the Milky Way galaxy, and for discovering the isolated and relatively small dark nebulae called Bok globules. Bok and his astronomer wife Priscilla Fairfield collaborated closely on their astronomical work and co-authored the widely acclaimed book The Milky Way.

Belgian-origin Dutch astronomer Marcel Minnaert is best remembered for pioneering the solar spectrophotometry. Initially a botanist, he later focused on his research on the effect of light on plants, eventually switching to physics. His best-known work remains The Nature of Light and Color in the Open Air.

Hendrik C. van de Hulst was a Dutch mathematician and astronomer. He is credited with developing the anomalous diffraction theory. A respected astronomer, Hendrik played an important role in several international space research projects. Over the course of his career, he was honored with many prestigious awards like the Henry Draper Medal, Bruce Medal, Rumford Medal, and Eddington Medal.  

Dutch-American astronomer Dirk Brouwer had a long stint at Yale University and had been the editor of Astronomical Journal for over two decades. A master of dynamical astronomy and celestial mechanics, he was the first to utilize computers for calculating planetary positions and also coined the term “ephemeris time.”