Marcel Minnaert

Marcel Gilles Jozef Minnaert (February 12 1893 – October 261970) was a Belgian astronomer.

Related Topics:
February 12 - 1893 - October 26 - 1970 - Belgian - Astronomer

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He obtained a PhD in biology at Ghent University in 1914.

Related Topics:
PhD - Biology - Ghent University - 1914

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He was a supporter of the Flemish movement during World War I and endorsed the replacement of French by Dutch during the German occupation of Belgium. Because of this, he was forced to flee Belgium after the end of the war.

Related Topics:
Flemish movement - World War I - French - Dutch - German occupation of Belgium

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In 1918, he found a position at Utrecht University in the Netherlands,

Related Topics:
1918 - Utrecht University - Netherlands

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initially to do photometric research. In Utrecht, he became interested in astronomy, and he became a pioneer of solar research. He specialized in spectroscopy and the study of stellar atmospheres.

Related Topics:
Photometric - Utrecht - Astronomy - Solar - Spectroscopy - Stellar atmosphere

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In 1937, he was appointed director of the stellar observatory Sonnenborgh in Utrecht and full professor in astronomy at the university. In 1940, he published his famous Utrecht Atlas of the solar spectrum. In 1941, he invented the Minnaert function, which is used in optical measurements of celestial bodies.

Related Topics:
1937 - Sonnenborgh - 1940 - Utrecht Atlas - 1941 - Minnaert function

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During the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, he was imprisoned by the

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Germans because of his left-wing, anti-fascist sympathies. During his incarceration, he taught physics and astronomy to his fellow prisoners.

Related Topics:
Fascist - Physics

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One of his interests was the effects of the atmosphere on light and images. He wrote two books on the subject:

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• Light and Color in the Outdoors, Springer, 1993, ISBN 0-387-97935-2, and 3-540-97935-2, 0-387-94413-3 (originally published in Dutch in 1974 as De natuurkunde van 't vrije veld. Licht en kleur in het landschap.)
• The Nature of Light and Color in the Open Air, Dover, 1954, ISBN 0-486-20196-1
 
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