| 1 | Name: | Dr. Maarten Schmidt | |
| Institution: | California Institute of Technology | ||
| Year Elected: | 2000 | ||
| Class: | 1. Mathematical and Physical Sciences | ||
| Subdivision: | 101. Astronomy | ||
| Residency: | Resident | ||
| Living? : | Deceased | ||
| Birth Date: | 1929 | ||
| Death Date: | September 17, 2022 | ||
Maarten Schmidt's discovery of the true distance of quasi-stellar objects expanded the dimensions of the known universe at the time (1963) by many orders of magnitude. His early work in galactic structure and in developing mass models for the Galaxy is also of great import. Dr. Schmidt and his collaborators have carried out several innovative surveys for quasars, improving in sensitivity and probing further in space as technological improvements permitted. He developed an optimal statistical technique (the V/V max test) for estimating the mean distance of a complete brightness limited sample, which has found widespread application in many fields. In 2008 he was awarded the first Kavli Prize in astrophysics for this work. In addition to holding many administrative positions within the California Institute of Technology, Dr. Schmidt served as president of the American Astronomical Society from 1984-86 and as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Universities Research in Astronomy from 1992-95. He has been Francis L. Moseley Professor of Astronomy Emeritus at Cal Tech since 1996. | |||