List of astronomers

Famous astronomers and astrophysicists include:

A

• Marc Aaronson (USA, 1950 – 1987)
• George Ogden Abell (USA, 1927 – 1983)
• Antonio Abetti (Italy, 1846 – 1928)
• Giorgio Abetti (Italy, 1882 – 1982)
• Charles Greeley Abbot (USA, 1872 – 1973)
• Charles Hitchcock Adams (USA, 1868 – 1951)
• John Couch Adams (UK, 1819 – 1892)
• Walter Sydney Adams (USA, 1876 – 1956)
• Saul Adelman (USA, 1944 – )
• Petrus Alphonsi (Spain) (Jewish Spanish) (1062-1110)
• Agrippa (Greek, unknown ca. 92)
• Abdul Ahad, (UK, 1968 – )
• Paul Oswald Ahnert (Germany, 1897 – 1989)
• Eva Ahnert-Rohlfs (Germany, 1912 – 1954)
• George Biddell Airy, (England, 1801 – 1892)
• Robert Aitken, (USA, 1864 – 1951)
• Al Battani (Iraq, 850 – 929)
• Albategnius (see Al-Batani)
• Vladimir Aleksandrovich Albitzky (Russia, 1891 – 1952)
• Albumasar (Persia 787 - 886)
• George Alcock (UK, 1913 – 2000)
• Harold Alden (USA, 1890 – 1964)
• Hannes Alfvén (Sweden, 1908 – 1995)
• Lawrence H. Aller (USA, 1913 – 2003)
• Abd Al-Rahman Al Sufi, (Persia, 903 – 986)
• Viktor Amazaspovich Ambartsumian, (Armenia, 1912 – 1996)
• John August Anderson, (USA, 1876 – 1959)
• Andronicus of Cyrrhus, (Greek, unknown ca. 100 BC)
• Anders Jonas Ångström (Sweden, 1814 – 1874)
• Eugène Michel Antoniadi (Greece, France, 1870 – 1944)
• Petrus Apianus (Germany, 1495 – 1557)
• François Arago (France, 1786 – 1853)
• Sylvain Arend (Belgium, 1902 – 1992)
• Friedrich Wilhelm Argelander (Germany, 1799 – 1875)
• Aristarchus of Samos (Greek, circa 310 BC – circa 230 BC)
• Christoph Arnold (Germany, 1650 – 1695)
• Halton Christian Arp (USA, 1927 –)
• Svante Arrhenius (Sweden, 1859 – 1927)
• Arzachel (Muslim from Spain), (1028 – 1087)
• Goryu Asada (Japan, 1734 –1799)
• Giuseppe Asclepi (Italy, 1706 – 1776)
• Joseph Ashbrook (USA, April 4 1918 – August 4 1980)
• Arthur Auwers (Germany, 1838 – 1915)
• Adrien Auzout (France, 1622 – 1691)
• David Axon (England, 1951 –)
• Aryabhata (India, 476)

B

• Walter Baade (Germany, 1893 – 1960)
• Harold D. Babcock (USA, 1882 – 1968)
• Horace W. Babcock (USA, 1912 – 2003)
• Oskar Backlund (Sweden, 1846 – 1916)
• John N. Bahcall (USA, 1934 – 2005)
• Benjamin Baillaud (France, 1848 – 1934)
• Jean-Baptiste Baille (France, 1841 – 1918)
• Jean Sylvain Bailly (France, 1736 – 1793)
• Francis Baily (UK, 1774 – 1844)
• John Bainbridge (UK, 1582 – 1643)
• John E. Baldwin (UK, 1934 – )
• Sallie Baliunas (USA, 1953 – )
• Zoltán Balog (Hungary,USA, 1972 – )
• Benjamin Banneker (USA, 1731 – 1806)
• Edward Emerson Barnard (USA, 1857 – 1923)
• Johann Bayer (Germany, 1572 – 1625)
• Antonín Bečvář (Slovakia, 1901 – 1965)
• Wilhelm Beer (Germany, 1797 – 1850)
• Sergei Ivanovich Belyavsky (Russia, 1883 – 1953)
• Charles L. Bennett (USA, 1956- present)
• Jocelyn Bell Burnell (Ireland, 1943 – )
• Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (Germany, 1784 – 1846)
• Wilhelm Freiherr von Biela (Austria, 1782 – 1856)
• Ludwig Biermann (Germany, 1907 – 1986)
• Wolf Bickel (Germany, [born] – [died])
• Guillaume Bigourdan (France, 1851 – 1932)
• Biruni (Persia 973 - 1048)
• Gennady S. Bisnovatyi-Kogan (Russia,1941-present)
• Adriaan Blaauw (Netherlands, 1914 – )
• Nathaniel Bliss (UK, 1700 – 1764)
• Johann Elert Bode (Germany, 1747 – 1826)
• Alfred Bohrmann (Germany, 1904 – 2000)
• Bart Bok (Netherlands, 1906 – 1983)
• Charles Thomas Bolton (USA, 1943 – )
• John Gatenby Bolton (UK, Australia, 1922 – 1993)
• William Cranch Bond (USA, 1789 – 1859)
• Alphonse Borrelly (France, 1842 – 1926)
• Rudjer Boscovich (Dalmatia, 1711 – 1787)
• Lewis Boss (USA, 1846 – 1912)
• Alexis Bouvard (France, 1767 – 1843)
• Rychard Bouwens (USA, 1972 – )
• Edward (Ted) L. G. Bowell (USA, 1943 – )
• Ira Sprague Bowen (USA, 1898 – 1973)
• Louis Boyer (France)
• Ronald N. Bracewell (Australia, USA, 1921 – 2007)
• James Bradley (England, 1693 – 1762)
• Tycho Brahe (Denmark, 1546 – 1601)
• John Alfred Brashear (USA, 1840 – 1920)
• William Robert Brooks (USA, 1844 – 1922)
• Theodor Brorsen (Denmark, 1819 – 1895)
• Dirk Brouwer (Netherlands–USA, 1902 – 1966)
• Ernest William Brown (UK, 1866 – 1938)
• Michael (Mike) E. Brown (USA, 1965 – )
• Hermann Alexander Brück (Germany, 1905 – 2000)
• Ismael Bullialdus (France, 1605 – 1694)
• Margaret Burbidge (UK, 1919 – )
• Robert Burnham, Jr. (USA, 1931 – 1993)
• Sherburne Wesley Burnham (1838 – 1921)
• Schelte J. Bus (USA, 1956 – )

C

• William Wallace Campbell (USA, 1862 – 1938)
• Annie Jump Cannon (USA, 1863 – 1941)
• Luigi Carnera (Italy, 1875 – 1962)
• Edwin Francis Carpenter (USA, 1898 – 1963)
• James Carpenter (UK, 1840 – 1899)
• Richard Christopher Carrington (UK, 1826 – 1875)
• Sir John Carroll (UK, 1899 – 1974)
• César-François Cassini de Thury (France, 1714 – 1784)
• Dominique, comte de Cassini (France, 1748 – 1845)
• Giovanni Domenico Cassini a.k.a. Jean-Dominique Cassini (France, 1625 – 1712)
• Jacques Cassini (France, 1677 – 1756)
• Bonaventura Cavalieri (Italy, 1598 – 1647)
• Anders Celsius, (1701 – 1744)
• Vincenzo Cerulli, (Italy, 1859 – 1927)
• Jean Chacornac (France, 1823 – 1873)
• James Challis (UK, 1803 – 1882)
• Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (India, USA, 1910 – 1995)
• Carl Charlier (Sweden, 1862 – 1934)
• Auguste Charlois (France, 1864 – 1910)
• Lyudmila Ivanovna Chernykh (Russia?, Ukraine)
• Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh (Russia, Ukraine, 1931 – )
• James Christy (USA, 1938 – )
• Edwin Foster Coddington (USA, 1870 – 1950)
• Jérôme Eugène Coggia (France, 1849 – 1919)
• Josep Comas Solá (Spain)
• Andrew Ainslie Common (UK, 1841 – 1903)
• Guy Consolmagno (USA, 1952 – )
• E. J. Cooper (Ireland, 1798 – 1863)
• Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543)
• Corsono Carsono (Spain)
• Pablo Cottenot (France)
• Heather Couper (UK, 1949 – )
• Leopold Courvoisier (Switzerland, 1873 – 1955)
• Arthur Edwin Covington (Canada, 1914 – 2001)
• Philip Herbert Cowell (UK, 1870 – 1949)
• Thomas George Cowling (UK, 1906 – 1990)
• Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin (UK, 1865 – 1939)
• James Cuffey (USA, 1911 – 1999)
• Heber Doust Curtis (USA, 1872 – 1942)

D

• Jacques Eugène d'Allonville (France, 1671 – 1732)
• Andre Louis Danjon (France, 1890 – 1967)
• Heinrich d'Arrest (Germany, 1822 – 1875)
• George Howard Darwin (UK, 1845 – 1912)
• Roger Davies (UK, 1954- )
• William Rutter Dawes (UK, 1799 – 1868)
• Bernhard Dawson (Argentina, 1890 – 1960)
• Leo de Ball (Germany, Austria, 1853 – 1916)
• Henri Debehogne (Belgium)
• Annibale de Gasparis (Italy, 1819 – 1892)
• Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre (France, 1749 – 1822)
• Charles-Eugène Delaunay (France, 1816 – 1872)
• Eugène Joseph Delporte (Belgium, 1882 – 1955)
• Audrey Delsanti
• William Frederick Denning (UK, 1848 – 1931)
• Alíz Derekas (Hungary, 1977 – )
• Willem de Sitter (Netherlands, 1872 – 1934)
• Henri-Alexandre Deslandres (France, 1853 – 1948)
• Alexander Nikolaevich Deutsch (Russia)
• Gérard de Vaucouleurs (France, USA, 1918 – 1995)
• Robert Dicke (USA, 1916 – 1997)
• Terence Dickinson, (Canada), astronomer and author
• Thomas Digges (England, 1546 – 1595)
• Herbert Dingle (USA, 1890 – 1978)
• Andrea Di Paola (Italy)
• Ewine van Dishoeck (Netherlands, 1955 – )
• John Lowry Dobson (1915 – )
• David Dodge, (Canada) (1949 – )
• Franjo Dominko, (Slovenia, 1903 – 1987)
• Giovanni Battista Donati, (Italy, 1826 – 1873)
• Frank Drake (USA, 1930 – )
• Henry Draper (USA, 1837 – 1882)
• John Dreyer (Ireland, 1852 – 1926)
• Alexander D. Dubyago (Russia), 1903 – 1959)
• Dmitrij I. Dubyago (Russia), 1850 – 1918)
• Jean C. B. Dufay (France, 1896 – 1967)
• Raymond Smith Dugan (USA, 1878 – 1940)
• Petar Đurković (Serbia, 1908 – 1981)
• Frank Watson Dyson (UK, 1868 – 1939)

E

• Arthur Eddington (England, 1882 – 1944)
• Frank K. Edmondson, (USA), (1912 – 2008)
• Olin J. Eggen (USA, 1919 – 1998)
• Eise Eisinga (Netherlands, 1744 – 1828)
• Eric Elst (Belgium)
• Johann Franz Encke (Germany, 1791 – 1865)
• Eratosthenes (Alexandria, 276 BC – 194 BC)
• Emil Ernst (Ph.D. Germany)
• Ernest Esclangon, (France, 1876 – 1954)
• Larry W. Esposito (USA)
• Eudoxus (Cnidus, circa 408 BC – circa 347 BC)

F

• David Fabricius (Netherlands, 1564 – 1617)
• Sandra M. Faber (USA, 1945-)
• Johannes Fabricius (Netherlands, 1587 – 1615)
• Fearon Fallows (UK, 1789 – 1831)
• Hervé Faye (1814 – 1902)
• Charles Fehrenbach (France, 1914 – )
• Farghani (Persia, d. after 861)
• James Ferguson (USA, 1797 – 1867)
• Alex Filippenko (USA, 1958 – )
• Erwin Finlay-Freundlich (1885 – 1964)
• Axel Firsoff (UK, 1910 – 1981)
• J. Richard Fisher
• Camille Flammarion (France, 1842 – 1925)
• Gabrielle Renaudot Flammarion (France, 1867 – 1962)
• John Flamsteed, (England, 1646 – 1719)
• Honoré Flaugergues (France, 1755 – 1835)
• Williamina Fleming (USA, 1857 – 1911)
• Wilhelm Julius Foerster (Germany, 1832 – 1921)
• Alfred Fowler (UK, 1868 – 1940)
• William Alfred Fowler (USA, 1911 – 1995)
• Philip Fox (USA, 1878 – 1944)
• Andrew Fraknoi (USA, 1948-)
• Joseph von Fraunhofer (Germany, 1787 – 1826)
• Herbert Friedman (USA, 1916 – 2000 )
• Dirk D. Frimout, (Belgium, 1941 – ), engineer and cosmonaut
• Edwin Brant Frost (USA, 1866 – 1935)

G

• Bryan Gaensler (Australia)
• Gan De (China, fl. 4th century BC)
• Galileo Galilei (Italy, 1564 – 1642)
• Julio Garavito Armero
• Gautama Siddha (China, fl. 8th century AD)
• Johann Gottfried Galle (Germany, 1812 – 1910)
• George Gamow (Russia, USA, 1904 – 1968)
• Carl Friedrich Gauss (Germany, 1777 – 1855)
• Tom Gehrels (Netherlands, USA, 1925 – )
• Andrea Ghez (USA)
• Riccardo Giacconi (Italy, 1931 – )
• Michel Giacobini (France, 1873 – 1938)
• Henry Lee Giclas (USA)
• David Gill (UK, 1843 – 1914)
• Thomas Gold (USA, 1920 – 2004)
• Leo Goldberg (USA, 1913 – 1987)
• Peter Goldreich (USA, 1939 – )
• Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt (Germany, 1802 – 1866)
• François Gonnessiat (France, 1856 – 1934)
• John Goodricke (UK, 1764 – 1786)
• Abu Sa'id Gorgani (Persia, 9th century)
• Paul Götz (Germany)
• Benjamin Apthorp Gould (USA, 1824 – 1896)
• Andrew Graham (Ireland, 1815 – 1907)
• Charles Green (England, 1735 – 1771)
• Jesse Greenstein (USA, 1909 – 2002)
• Jay U. Gunter, (United States, 1911 - 1994)
• Alexander A. Gurshtein
• Bengt Gustafsson, (Sweden, 1943 – )
• Guo Shoujing (China, 1231 – 1316)
• Alan Harvey Guth (USA, 1947 – )

H

• Yusuke Hagihara (Japan, 1897 –1979)
• George Ellery Hale (USA, 1868 – 1938)
• Asaph Hall (USA, 1829 – 1907)
• Edmond Halley (England, 1656 – 1742)
• Peter Andreas Hansen (December 8, 1795 – March 28 1874)
• Abulfazl Harawi (Persia, 10th century)
• Karl Ludwig Harding (Germany, 1765 – 1834)
• Thomas Hariot (UK, 1560 – 1621)
• Guillermo Haro (Mexico, 1913 – 1988)
• Robert G. Harrington (USA)
• Robert Sutton Harrington (USA, 1942 – 1993)
• Edward Robert Harrison (UK/USA, 1917 – 2007)
• William Kenneth Hartmann (USA, 1939 – )
• Stephen Hawking (UK, 1942 – )
• Will Hay (UK, 1888 - 1949)
• John Frederick Heard (Canada, 1907 - 1976)
• Otto Hermann Leopold Heckmann (Germany, 1901 – 1983)
• Carl Heiles (USA, 1939 – )
• Joseph Helffrich (Germany, 1872 - ?)
• Eleanor Helin (USA)
• Maximilian Hell (Austria-Hungary, 1720 – 1792)
• Karl Ludwig Hencke (Germany, 1793 – 1866)
• Thomas Henderson (Scotland, 1798 – 1844)
• Paul Henry (France, 1848 – 1905)
• Prosper Henry (France, 1849 – 1903)
• Abraham bar Hiyya (Spanish Jewish), (1070-1136)
• George Howard Herbig (USA, 1920 – )
• Caroline Herschel (UK, 1750 – 1848)
• John Herschel (UK, 1792 – 1871)
• William Herschel (UK, 1738 – 1822)
• Ejnar Hertzsprung (Denmark, 1873 – 1967)
• Johannes Hevelius (1611 – 1687)
• Antony Hewish (UK, 1924 – )
• George William Hill (USA, 1838 – 1914)
• John Russell Hind (UK, 1823 – 1895)
• Hipparchus (Nicaea, circa 190 BC – 120 BC)
• Kiyotsugu Hirayama (Japan, 1874 – 1943)
• Shin Hirayama (Japan, 1868 – 1945)
• Gustave-Adolphe Hirn (France, 1815 – 1890)
• Cuno Hoffmeister (Germany, 1892 – 1968)
• Dorrit Hoffleit (USA, 1907 – 2007 )
• Helen Sawyer Hogg (Canada, 1905 – 1993)
• Minoru Honda (Japan, 1917 –1990)
• Jeremiah Horrocks (UK, c1619 – 1641)
• Cornelis Johannes van Houten (Netherlands, 1920 – August 24 2002)
• Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld (Netherlands)
• Martin van den Hove (Netherlands, 1605 – 1639)
• Fred Hoyle (UK, 1915 – 2001)
• Edwin Powell Hubble (USA, 1889 – 1953)
• William Huggins (UK, 1824 – 1910)
• Russell Alan Hulse (USA, 1950 – )
• Hendrik Christoffel van de Hulst (Netherlands, 1918 – 2000)
• Milton Lasell Humason (USA, 1891 – 1972)
• Christiaan Huygens (Netherlands, 1629 – 1695)
• Josef Allen Hynek (USA, 1910 – 1986)

I

• I Sin (China, 683 – 727)
• Icko Iben, Jr. (1931 – )
• Kaoru Ikeya (Japan)
• Robert Thorburn Ayton Innes (Scotland, South Africa, 1861 – 1933)
• Edward Israel (USA, 1859 – 1884)

J

• Cyril V. Jackson (South Africa)
• Karl Guthe Jansky (USA, 1905 – 1950)
• Pierre Jules César Janssen (France, 1824 – 1907)
• James Jeans (UK,1877 – 1946)
• Benjamin Jekhowsky (Russia, France, Algeria, 1881 – 1953)
• Louise Freeland Jenkins (USA, 1888 – 1970)
• David Jewitt
• Jiao Bingzhen (China, 1689 – 1726)
• Alfred Harrison Joy (USA, 1882 – 1973)

K

• Franz Kaiser (Germany, 1891 – 1962)
• Piet van de Kamp (Netherlands, USA, 1901 – 1995)
• Jacobus Kapteyn (Netherlands, 1851 – 1922)
• Lyudmila Georgievna Karachkina (Ukraine)
• Ghiyath al-Kashi (Persia, 1380 - 1429)
• James Edward Keeler (USA, 1857 – 1900)
• Johannes Kepler (Germany, 1571 – 1630)
• Omar Khayyám (Persia, 1048 – 1131)
• Al-Khujandi (Persia, 10th century)
• Khwarizmi, (Persia, 780 – 850)
• Kidinnu (Babylon, 4th century BC ; d. 330 BC?)
• Hisashi Kimura (Japan, 1870 –1943)
• Daniel Kirkwood (USA, 1814 – 1895)
• Ernst Friedrich Wilhelm Klinkerfues (Germany, 1827 – 1884)
• Viktor Knorre (Russia, 1840 – 1919)
• Takao Kobayashi (Japan)
• Luboš Kohoutek (1935 – )
• Stefanie Komossa (Germany)
• Zdeněk Kopal (Czech Republic, UK, USA, 1914 – 1993)
• August Kopff (Germany, 1882 – 1960)
• Korado Korlević (Croatia)
• Charles T. Kowal (USA, 1940 – )
• Robert Kraft
• Ľubor Kresák (Slovakia, 1927 – 1994)
• Heinrich Kreutz (Germany, 1854 – 1927)
• Gerard Kuiper (Netherlands, USA, 1905 – 1973)
• Yoshio Kushida (Japan, 1957 – )

L

• Nicolas Louis de Lacaille (France, 1713 – 1762)
• Claes-Ingvar Lagerkvist (Sweden)
• Joseph-Louis Lagrange (France, 1736 – 1813)
• Jérôme Lalande (France, 1732 – 1807)
• Johann Heinrich Lambert (France, Germany, 1728 – 1777)
• Samuel Pierpont Langley (USA, 1834 – 1906)
• Pierre-Simon Laplace (France, 1749 – 1827)
• William Lassell (UK, 1799 – 1880)
• A. Laurent (France)
• Henrietta Swan Leavitt (USA, 1868 – 1921)
• Typhoon Lee (USA and Taiwan)
• Guillaume Le Gentil (France, 1725 – 1792)
• Georges Lemaître (Belgium, 1894 – 1966)
• Pierre Lemonnier (France, 1715 – 1799)
• Armin Leuschner (Germany, 1868 – 1953)
• Urbain Le Verrier (France, 1811 – 1877)
• David Levy (Canada)
• Li Fan (China, fl. 1st century AD)
• Bertil Lindblad (Sweden, 1895 – 1965)
• Adolph Friedrich Lindemann (Germany/UK, 1846 – 1927)
• Chris Lintott (United Kingdom, 1980 – )
• Joseph Johann Littrow (Austria, 1781 – 1840)
• Karl L. Littrow (Austria, 1811 – 1877)
• Liu Xin (China, fl. 1st century AD)
• Joseph Lockyer (UK, 1836 – 1920)
• Maurice Loewy (Austria/France, 1833 – 1907)
• Christian Sørensen Longomontanus (Denmark, 1562 – 1647)
• Percival Lowell (USA, 1855 – 1916)
• Àngel López (Spain)
• Álvaro López-García (Spain)
• John William Lubbock (UK, 1803 – 1865)
• Knut Lundmark (Sweden, 1889 – 1958)
• Robert Luther (Germany, 1822 – 1900)
• Lupitus of Barcelona (Spain)
• Jane Luu (South Vietnam, USA 1965 – )
• Willem Luyten (Dutch East Indies, Netherlands, 1899 – 1994)
• Donald Lynden-Bell (UK, 1935 – )
• Bernard Lyot (France, 1897 – 1952)

M

• Ma Yize (China, 910 – 1005)
• Adriaan van Maanen (USA, 1884 – 1946)
• George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield (UK, c. 1697 – 1764)
• Amy Mainzer (USA)
• Geoff Marcy (UK, USA, 1954 – )
• Simon Marius (Germany, 1573 – 1624)
• Brian Marsden (USA, 1937 – )
• Albert Marth (Germany, 1828 – 1897)
• Nevil Maskelyne (UK, 1732 – 1811)
• Charles Mason (UK, USA, 1730 – 1787)
• John C. Mather (USA, 1946 – )
• Janet Akyüz Mattei (Turkey/USA, 1943 – 2004)
• Edward Walter Maunder (UK, 1851 – 1928)
• Pierre Louis Maupertuis (France, 1698 – 1759)
• Alain Maury (France)
• Brian May (UK, 1947 – ) astronomer and musician
• Cornell Mayer (USA, 1922 – 2005)
• Tobias Mayer (Germany, 1723 – 1762)
• Christopher McKee (USA, 1942 – )
• Robert S. McMillan (USA)
• William H. McCrea (UK, 1904 – 1999)
• Bruce A. McIntosh (Canada, 1929 – )
• Robert H. McNaught (Australia)
• Pierre Méchain (France, 1744 – 1804)
• Thebe Medupe (South Africa)
• Karen Jean Meech (USA)
• Aden Baker Meinel (USA, 1922 – )
• Fulvio Melia (USA, 1956 – )
• Philibert Jacques Melotte (UK, 1880 – 1961)
• Paul Willard Merrill (USA, 1887 – 1961)
• David Merritt (USA)
• Charles Messier (France, 1730 – 1817)
• Joel Hastings Metcalf (USA, 1866 – 1925)
• Andreas Gerasimos Michalitsianos (USA, 1947 – 1997)
• John Michell (UK, 1724 – 1793)
• Elia Millosevich (Italy, 1848 – 1919)
• Edward Arthur Milne (UK, 1896 – 1950)
• Rudolph Minkowski (Germany, 1895 – 1976)
• Marcel Gilles Jozef Minnaert (Belgium, Netherlands, 1893 – 1970)
• Maria Mitchell (USA, 1818 – 1889)
• August Ferdinand Möbius (Germany, 1790 – 1868)
• Johan Maurits Mohr (Netherlands, 1716 – 1775)
• Samuel Molyneux (UK, 1689 – 1728 astronomer and politician)
• Geminiano Montanari (Italy, 1633 – 1687)
• Patrick Moore (UK, 1923 – )
• William Wilson Morgan (USA, 1906 – 1994)
• Amédée Mouchez (France, 1821 – 1892)
• Antonín Mrkos (Czech Republic, 1918 – 1996)
• Jean Mueller (USA, 1950 – )
• Johannes Müller (Germany, 1436 – 1476)
• bin Musa, Ahmad, (Persia, 805 - 873)
• bin Musa, Hasan, (Persia, 810 - 873)
• bin Musa, Muhammad, (Persia, (800 - 873)
• Nils Mustelin (Finland, 1931 – 2004)

N

• Naburimannu (Babylonia, sometime between 6th century BC and 2nd century BC)
• Ahmad Nahavandi (Persia, 7th-8th century)
• Syuichi Nakano (Japan)
• Jayant Narlikar (India, 1938 – )
• Naubakht (Persia, d. 776)
• Al-fadl ibn Naubakht (Persia, 8th century)
• Otto Neugebauer (Germany, USA, 1899 – 1990)
• Grigoriy Nikolaevich Neujmin (Russia, 1886 – 1946)
• Simon Newcomb (USA, 1835 – 1909)
• Isaac Newton (UK, 1643 – 1727)
• Seth Barnes Nicholson (USA, 1891 – 1963)
• Albertus Antonie Nijland (Netherlands, 1868 – 1936)
• Peter Nilson (Sweden, 1937 – 1998)
• Houei Nojiri (Japan, 1885 – 1977) astronomer and essayist
• Jaime Nomen (Spain)

O

• Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard (Norway,1966 – )
• Tarmo Oja (Sweden)
• Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers (Germany, 1758 – 1840)
• Gerard O'Neill (USA,1927 – 1992)
• Jan Hendrik Oort (Netherlands, 1900 – 1992)
• Pieter Oosterhoff (Netherlands, 1904 – 1978)
• Friedrich Wilhelm Opelt (Germany, 1794 – 1863)
• Ernst Öpik (Estonia, Ireland, 1893 – 1985)
• José Luis Ortiz Moreno (Spain)
• Donald Edward Osterbrock, USA, 1924 – )
• Liisi Oterma (Finland, 1915 – 2001)
• Jean Abraham Chrétien Oudemans (Netherlands, 1827 – 1906)

P

• Rafael Pacheco (Spain)
• Bohdan Paczynski, (Poland, 1940 – 2007)
• Ľudmila Pajdušáková (Slovakia, 1916 – 1979)
• Johann Palisa, (Austria, 1848 – 1925)
• Johann Palitzsch, (Germany, 1723 – 1788)
• Anton Pannekoek (Netherlands, 1873 – 1960)
• Eugene Parker (USA, 1927 – )
• George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield (UK, c. 1697 – 1764)
• William Parsons, Lord Rosse (Ireland, 1800 – 1867)
• André Patry (France, 1902 – 1960)
• Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (UK, USA, 1900 – 1979)
• James Peebles (Canada, USA, 1935 – )
• Leslie Copus Peltier (USA, 1900 – 1980)
• Roger Penrose (UK, 1931 – )
• Arno Penzias (Germany, 1933 – )
• Charles Dillon Perrine (USA, Argentina, 1867 – 1951)
• Henri Joseph Anastase Perrotin (France, 1845 – 1904)
• Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters (Germany, USA, 1813 – 1890)
• George Henry Peters (USA, 1863 – 1947)
• Esprit Pezenas (France, 1692 – 1776)
• Mark M. Phillips, {USA, 1951)
• Giuseppe Piazzi (Italy, 1746 – 1826)
• Edward Charles Pickering (USA, 1846 – 1919)
• William Henry Pickering (USA, 1858 – 1938)
• Maynard Pittendreigh (USA, 1954 – )
• Phil Plait (USA)
• Giovanni Antonio Amedeo Plana (Italy, 1781 – 1864)
• Petrus Plancius (Netherlands, 1552 – 1622)
• John Stanley Plaskett (Canada, 1865 – 1941)
• Norman Robert Pogson, (UK, 1829 – 1891)
• Christian Pollas, (France)
• John Pond (England, 1767 – 1836)
• Jean-Louis Pons (France, 1761 – 1831)
• Vladimír Porubčan (Slovakia, 1940 – )
• Charles Pritchard (UK, 1808 – 1893)
• Richard Proctor (England, 1837 – 1888)
• Ptolemy of Alexandria (Roman Egypt, circa 85 – 165)
• Pierre Puiseux (France, 1855 – 1928)
• Georg Purbach (Germany, 1423 – 1461)
• Pythagoras of Samos, circa 580 [[BeforSamos, circa 580 BC – 500 BC)

Q

• Adolphe Quetelet (Belgium, 1796 – 1874)

R

• Radhagobinda Chandra
• David Lincoln Rabinowitz (USA, 1960 – )
• Grote Reber (USA, 1911 – 2002)
• Martin Rees (UK, 1942 – )
• Regiomontanus (Johannes Müller) (Germany, 1436 – 1476)
• Erasmus Reinhold (Prussia, Germany, 1511 – 1553)
• Karl Reinmuth (Germany, 1892 – 1979)
• Pieter Johannes van Rhijn (Netherlands, 1886 – 1960)
• Giovanni Battista Riccioli (Italy, 1598 – 1671)
• Jean Richer (France, 1630 – 1696)
• Fernand Rigaux (Belgium)
• David Rittenhouse (USA, 1732 – 1796)
• Arjen Roelofs (Netherlands, 1754 – 1824)
• Elizabeth Roemer (USA, 1929 – )
• Ole Christensen Rømer (Denmark, 1644 – 1710)
• Otto A. Rosenberger (Germany, 1800 – 1890)
• Lord Rosse (Ireland, 1800 – 1867)
• Svein Rosseland (Norway, 1894 – 1985)
• Bruno Rossi (Italy, 1905 – 1993)
• Vera Rubin (USA, 1928 – )
• Henry Norris Russell (USA, 1877 – 1957)
• Martin Ryle (UK, 1918 – 1984)

S

• Sir Edward Sabine (Ireland, 1788 – 1883)
• Carl Edward Sagan (USA, 1934 – 1996)
• Megh Nad Saha (Bangladesh/India, 1893 – 1956)
• Edwin Ernest Salpeter (Austria, Australia, USA, 1924 – )
• Allan Rex Sandage (USA, 1926 – )
• Hendricus Gerardus van de Sande Bakhuyzen (Netherlands, 1838 – 1923)
• Wallace Leslie William Sargent (UK, USA, 1935 – m. to Anneila Sargent)
• Anneila Sargent (UK, USA, 1942 – m. to Wallace Leslie William Sargent)
• Alexandre Schaumasse (France, 1882 – 1958)
• Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli (Italy, 1835 – 1910)
• Frank Schlesinger (USA, 1871 – 1943)
• Bernhard Schmidt (Estonia, Sweden, Germany, 1879 – 1935)
• Maarten Schmidt (Netherlands, 1929 – )
• Robert Schommer (USA), 1946 – 2001)
• Johann Hieronymus Schröter (Germany, 1745 – 1816)
• Lipót Schulhof (Hungary, 1847 – 1921)
• Heinrich Christian Schumacher (Germany, 1780 – 1850)
• Hans-Emil Schuster (Germany, 1934 – )
• Samuel Heinrich Schwabe (Germany, 1789 – 1875)
• Karl Schwarzschild (Germany, 1873 – 1916)
• Martin Schwarzschild (Germany, USA, 1912 – 1997)
• Friedrich Karl Arnold Schwassmann (Germany, 1870 – 1964)
• Ruby Payne Scott (Australia, 1912 – 1981)
• James Vernon Scotti (USA, 1960 – )
• Frederick Hanley Seares (USA, 1873 – 1964)
• George Mary Searle (USA, 1839 – 1918)
• Angelo Secchi (Italy, 1818 – 1878)
• Waltraut Seitter (Germany, 1930 – 2007)
• Tsutomu Seki (Japan, 1930 – )
• Carl Keenan Seyfert (USA, 1911 – 1960)
• Grigory Abramovich Shajn (Russia, 1892 – 1956)
• Pelageya Fedorovna Shajn (Russia, 1894 – 1956)
• Harlow Shapley (USA, 1885 – 1972)
• Richard Sheepshanks (UK, 1794 – 1855)
• Shen Kuo, China, 1031 – 1035
• Shi Shen (China, fl. 4th century BC)
• Qutb eddin Shirazi (Persia, 1236 – 1311)
• Iosif Samuilovich Shklovsky (Russia, 1916 – 1985)
• Carolyn Jean Spellmann Shoemaker (USA, 1929 – )
• Eugene Merle Shoemaker (USA, 1928 – 1997)
• Willem de Sitter (Netherlands, 1872 – 1934)
• Charlotte Moore Sitterly (USA, 1898 – 1990)
• Brian A. Skiff (USA)
• John Francis Skjellerup (Australia, South Africa, 1875 – 1952)
• Vesto Melvin Slipher (USA, 1875 – 1969)
• Tamara Mikhaylovna Smirnova (Russia, 1918 – )
• George Smoot (USA, 1945 –)
• William Henry Smyth (UK, 1788 – 1865)
• Willebrord Snel van Royen (Snellius) (Netherlands, 1580 – 1626)
• Mary Fairfax Somerville (UK, 1780 – 1872)
• Sir James South (UK, (1785 – 1867)
• Sir Harold Spencer Jones (UK, 1890 – 1960)
• Lyman Spitzer (USA, 1914 – 1997)
• Friederich Wilhelm Gustav Spörer (Germany, 1822 – 1895)
• Rainer Spurzem (Germany, 1956 –)
• Anton Staus (Germany, 1872 – 1955)
• Joel Stebbins, (USA, 1878 – 1966)
• Johan Stein, (Netherlands, 1871 – 1951)
• Karl August von Steinheil, (Germany, 1801 – 1870)
• Édouard Jean-Marie Stephan, (France, 1837 – 1923)
• David J. Stevenson, (New Zealand, 1948 – )
• Edward James Stone, (1831 – 1897)
• F.J.M. Stratton (UK, 1881 – 1960)
• Bengt Georg Daniel Strömgren, (Denmark, 1908 – 1987)
• Friedrich Georg Wilhelm (von) Struve (Germany, Russia, 1793 – 1864)
• Karl Hermann Struve (Russia, Germany, 1854 – 1920)
• Gustav Wilhelm Ludwig Struve (Russia, 1858 – 1920)
• Otto Struve (Russia, USA, 1897 – 1963)
• Otto Wilhelm (von) Struve (Russia, 1819 – 1905)
• Su Song (China, 1020 – 1101)
• Abd Al-Rahman Al Sufi (Persia, 903 – 986)
• Rashid Alievich Sunyaev (Uzbekistan Russia Germany, 1943 – )
• Lewis A. Swift (USA, 1820 – 1913)
• Frédéric Sy (France)
• Gyula M. Szabó (Hungary, 1979 )

T

• Atsushi Takahashi (Japan)
• Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr. (USA, 1941 – )
• Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel, (Germany, 1821 – 1889)
• Thabit ibn Qurra (Iraq, 826 – 901)
• Thorvald Nicolai Thiele (Denmark, 1838 – 1910)
• Norman G. Thomas (USA)
• John Thome ((USA, Argentina, 1843 – 1908)
• Kip Stephen Thorne (USA, 1940 – )
• Friedrich Tietjen (Germany, 1834 – 1895)
• Beatrice Muriel Hill Tinsley (USA, 1941 – 1981)
• François Félix Tisserand (France, 1845 – 1896)
• Johann Daniel Titius (Germany, 1729 – 1796)
• Clyde W. Tombaugh (USA, 1906 – 1997)
• Richard Tousey (USA, 1908 – 1997)
• Virginia Trimble (USA)
• Chad Trujillo (USA, 1973 – )
• Robert Julius Trumpler (USA, 1886 – 1956)
• R. Brent Tully (USA)
• Herbert Hall Turner (England, 1861 – 1930)
• Nasir al-Din Tusi (Persia, 1201 – 1274)
• Horace Parnell Tuttle (USA, 1839 – 1923)
• Neil deGrasse Tyson (USA, 1958 – )
• Radmila Topalovic (UK, 1980 – )

U

• Ulugh Beg (Persia, 1394 – 1449)
• Antonio de Ulloa (Spain), (1716-1795)
• Albrecht Unsöld (Germany, 1905 – 1995)
• Mu’ayyad al-Din al-’Urdi (worked in Maragha observatory, Persia d. 1266}

V

• Yrjö Väisälä (Finland, 1891 – 1971)
• Benjamin Valz (France, 1787 – 1867)
• James Van Allen (USA, 1914 – 2006)
• George Van Biesbroeck (Belgium, USA, 1880 – 1974)
• Hendrik Christoffel van de Hulst (Netherlands, 1918 – 2000)
• Peter van de Kamp (USA, 1901 – 1995)
• Sidney van den Bergh (Canada, 1929 – )
• Martin van den Hove (Netherlands, 1605 – 1639)
• Hendricus Gerardus van de Sande Bakhuyzen (Netherlands, 1838 – 1923)
• Hendrik van Gent (Netherlands, South Africa, (1900 – March 29, 1947)
• Cornelis Johannes van Houten (Netherlands, 1920 – August 24 2002)
• Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld (Netherlands)
• Pieter Johannes van Rhijn (Netherlands, 1886 – August 24 1960)
• Gérard de Vaucouleurs (France, USA, 1918 – 1995)
• Zdeňka Vávrová (Czech Republic or Slovakia)
• Philippe Véron (France, 1939 – )
• Frank Washington Very (USA, 1852 – 1927)
• Yvon Villarceau (France, 1813 – 1883)
• Julie Vinter Hansen (Denmark), 1890 – 1960)
• Hermann Carl Vogel (Germany, 1841 – 1907)
• Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (Germany, Russia, 1793 – 1864)
• Otto Wilhelm von Struve (Russia, 1819 – 1905)
• Alexander N. Vyssotsky (Russia USA, 1888 – 1973 )
• Emma Vyssotsky (USA, 1894 – 1975)

W

• Arno Arthur Wachmann (Germany, 1902 – 1990)
• Abul Wáfa (Persia, 940 – 997-8)
• Walcher of Malvern (England, d. 1135)
• George Wallerstein (1930 – )
• William Wales (UK, ca. 1734 - 1798), astronomer on Captain Cook's second voyage to the Pacific and later teacher at Christ's hospital. Possibly an inspiration for Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
• Qingde Wang (USA, China)
• James Craig Watson (USA, 1838 – 1880)
• Kim Weaver (USA, 1969 – )
• Thomas William Webb (UK, 1807 – 1885)
• Alfred Lothar Wegener (Germany, 1880 – 1930), astronomer, geologist, meteorologist
• Gary A. Wegner (USA, 1944 – )
• Wei Pu (China, fl. 11th century)
• Karl von Weizsäcker (Germany, 1912 – 2007)
• Godefroy Wendelin (Belgium, 1580 – 1667)
• Richard M. West (Denmark, 1942 – )
• J. G. Westphal (Germany)
• Johann Heinrich Westphal (Germany, Italy, 1794 – 1831)
• George Wetherill (1925 – 2006)
• John Archibald Wheeler (USA, 1911 – )
• Fred Lawrence Whipple (USA, 1906 – 2004)
• Albert Whitford (USA, 1905 – 2002)
• Chandra Wickramasinghe (UK, 1939 – )
• Paul Wild (Switzerland)
• Olin C. Wilson (USA, 1909 – 1994)
• Robert Wilson (USA, 1936 – )
• John Winthrop (Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1714 – 1779)
• Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke (Germany, 1835 – 1897)
• Carl Wirtanen (USA, 1910 – 1990)
• Jack Wisdom (USA)
• Gustav Witt (Germany, 1866 – 1946)
• Maximilian Wolf (Germany, 1863 – 1932)
• Aleksander Wolszczan (Poland, 1946 – )
• Richard van der Riet Woolley (UK, 1906 – 1986)
• Thomas Wright (UK, 1711 – 1786)

Y

• Issei Yamamoto (Japan, 1889 – 1959)
• Yi Xing (China, 683 – 727)
• Charles Augustus Young (USA, 1834 – 1908)
• James Whitney Young (USA, 1941 – )

Z

• Franz Xaver von Zach (Germany, 1753 – 1832)
• Abraham Zacuto (Spain/Portugal, 1450 – 1510)
• Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich (USSR, 1914 – 1987)
• Zhang Daqing (China, 1969 – )
• Zhang Heng (China, 78 – 139)
• Zhang Yuzhe (China, 1902 – 1986)
• Lyudmila Vasil'evna Zhuravleva (Russia/Ukraine, ? – )
• Zu Chongzhi, (425 – 500)
• Fritz Zwicky (Switzerland, USA, 1898 – 1974)

Others

Other scientists whose work had an impact on astronomy and astrophysics

• Hans Bethe (physicist) (1906 – 2005)
• Niels Bohr (physicist) (1885 – 1962)
• Freeman Dyson (physicist) (1923 – )
• Albert Einstein (physicist) (1879 – 1955)
• James Clerk Maxwell (physicist) (United Kingdom, 1831 – 1879)
• Thomas Young (physicist) (United Kingdom, 1773 – 1829)

Instrument makers, illustrators, etc.

• John Bird (1709 – 1776)
• Chesley Bonestell (1888 – 1986)
• Andreas Cellarius (cartographer) (Netherlands, Germany, 1596 – 1665)
• Thomas Cooke (1807 – 1868)
• Alvan Clark (1804 – 1887)
• John Dollond (1706 – 1761)
• Henry Fitz (1808 – 1863) [2]
• James Gregory (1638 – 1675)
• Hans Lippershey (1570 - 1619)
• Jesse Ramsden (1735 – 1800)
• George Willis Ritchey (1864 – 1945)
• James Short (1710 – 1768)
• William Simms (1793 – 1860)
• William Simms (1817 – 1907)
• Edward Troughton (1756 – 1835)

References

• The Great Astronomers
• Astronomical Society of the Pacific: Women in Astronomy

See also

• List of astronomical instrument makers