Nicholas Mayall
American astronomer
Died when: 86 years 241 days (1039 months)Star Sign: Taurus
Nicholas Ulrich Mayall (May 9, 1906 – January 5, 1993) was an American observational astronomer.After obtaining his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, Mayall worked at the Lick Observatory, where he remained from 1934 to 1960, except for a brief period at MIT's Radiation Laboratory during World War II.
During his time at Lick, Mayall contributed to astronomical knowledge of nebulae, supernovae, spiral galaxy internal motions, the redshifts of galaxies, and the origin, age, and size of the Universe.
He played a significant role in the planning and construction of Lick's 120-inch (3.0 m) reflector, which represented a major improvement over its earlier 36-inch (0.91 m) telescope.
From 1960, Mayall spent 11 years as director of the Kitt Peak National Observatory until his retirement in 1971.Under his leadership KPNO, and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, developed into two of the world's top research observatories, equipped with premier telescopes.
Mayall was responsible for the construction of the 4-meter (160 in) Kitt Peak reflector, which was named after him.When Mayall died in 1993, his ashes were spread high on an empty ridge of Kitt Peak.
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