William P. Bidelman
William Pendry Bidelman | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 25, 1918 Los Angeles, California, US |
| Died | May 3, 2011 (aged 92) Murfreesboro, Tennessee, US |
| Alma mater | Harvard College, University of Chicago |
| Known for | co-discovery of the barium stars with Philip Keenan, expert on the peculiar stars. |
| Spouse | Verna Pearl Shirk (1918–2009; her death) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | astronomer, astrophysicist |
| Institutions | Yerkes Observatory, Lick Observatory, Michigan Observatory McDonald Observatory, Warner and Swasey Observatory |
| Doctoral advisor | William Wilson Morgan |
| Doctoral students | Craig Chester |
William Pendry Bidelman (/ˈbaɪdəlmæn/ BY-dəl-man; September 25, 1918 – May 3, 2011) was an American astronomer. Born in Los Angeles, and raised in North Dakota, he was noted for classifying the spectra of stars, and considered a pioneer in recognizing and classifying sub-groups of the peculiar stars.
Bidelman's undergraduate degree was from Harvard College, and his Ph.D. in astronomy was from the University of Chicago under advisor William Wilson Morgan. He was a physicist in the Army during World War II. A professional astronomer for over 50 years, Bidelman taught for ~41 years at The University of Chicago, The University of California,
He co-discovered the class of barium stars with Philip Keenan, the phosphorus and the mercury stars, and was the first to describe the hydrogen-deficient carbon stars.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Bidelman was raised in North Dakota, where he met his future wife of 69 years. He was a father of four and a grandfather. As an Emeritus Professor William P. Bidelman continued working in astronomy after he retired from teaching, and was 92 when he died in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.