Doublestar Giant

The family memorial page for Robert Grant Aitken, a double star enthusiast dedicated to dislodging astronomy from its ivory tower.

R.G. Aitken was astronomer pioneering the study of binary stars at Lick Observatory, and a leader of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for 57 years. He is highlighted in Deaf Persons in the Arts and Sciences: A Biographical Dictionary (1995). A minor planet, the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin (the largest known impact crater in the Solar System), and a supercomputer bear his name.

MEMORIALS

  • National Academy of Sciences :

Biographical Memoir (.pdf), Van Den Bos (1958)

  • Astronomical Society of the Pacific:

memorial, Jeffers

memorial fund

  • Royal Astronomical Society:

obituary

  • American Astronomical Society:

obituary

  • Royal Astronomical Society of Canada:

biography, Osterbrock

obituary, Van den Bos

  • Irish Astronomical Society:

obituary

  • Deaf Persons in the Arts and Scientists: A Biographical Dictionary (1995):

(entry pp 1-3)

  • Journal des Observateur:

obituary

  • University of California:

obituary

  • Sonoma State Univresity:

biography

HONORS

  • Royal Astronomical Society 1931:

Gold Medal

  • The Bruce Medalists 1926:

award address

biography

bibliography

  • French Academy 1906:

Lalande Prize

biography

  • Rittenhouse Astronomical Society 1934:

Rittenhouse Medal

  • Sigma Xi, California Chapter:

Elected Member 1907

  • Washington Academy of Sciences:

Elected Member 1919

  • American Philosophical Society:

elected Member 1919

  • Williams College:

B.A., A.M.

  • College of the Pacific:

Honorary Sc.D.

  • Williams College:

Honorary Sc.D.

  • University of Arizona 1934:

Honorary Sc.D.

  • University of California:

Honorary LL.D.

  • South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin:

(Wikipedia ) (NASA)

  • Moon Crater:

Aitken

  • Minor Planet:

Aitken

  • Supercomputer:

Aitken


PUBLICATIONS

• The Binary Stars (1918) ISBN: B12577352 (review) (view digital copy).

New General Catalogue of Double Stars within 120° of the North Pole Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication (1932) No. 417

• Amazon List

• Astrophysics Data System Publications List

• Google Books List

• Library of Congress Publications List

• Untiverität Bonn Page

• WorldCat Identities Page

LINKS

Vitals

Birth: December 31, 1864 - Jackson, Amador County, CA, United States

Death: October 29, 1951 (86) - Berkeley, Alameda County, CA, United States

Family

Son of Robert Aitken and Wilhelmina Aitken

Husband of Jessie Louise Thomas

Father of Wilhelmina Ellen Young; Robert Thomas Aitken; Malcolm Darroch Aitken and Douglas Carryl Aitken