Harm Jan Habing
Harm Habing in 1983
Born (1937-08-31) August 31, 1937
Tubbergen, Overijssel, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
OccupationProfessor of Astrophysics (emeritus)
Academic background
Alma materGroningen University
Academic work
DisciplineAstronomer
InstitutionsLeiden University

Harm Jan Habing (born 31 October 1937 in Tubbergen, Overijssel, Netherlands) is a Dutch astronomer and emeritus professor of astrophysics at Leiden University.

Career

Habing studied at the University of Groningen, first chemistry and physics, after which he switched to astronomy. He obtained his doctorate in Groningen in 1968 with a thesis entitled Studies of physical conditions in HI regions supervised by Stuart Robert Pottasch and Hendrik Christoffel van de Hulst.

In 1971 Habing was appointed lecturer in astrophysics at Leiden University and in 1979 he was promoted to full professor. He has been emeritus professor since 2003.

Ewine van Dishoeck and Xander Tielens were among Harm Habing's PhD students.

Harm Habing was Editor-in-Chief of Astronomy & Astrophysics from 1996 to 2002.

After his retirement, Habing wrote several books, including about the history of astronomy.[1]

Research

Habing is known for his 1968 research into the far-ultraviolet (between 91 and 240 nanometers) radiation field in the space between the stars.[2]

Later at the Leiden Observatory, his interests included masers, late stages of stellar evolution (such as OH/IR stars), and star formation.

Habing was principal investigator of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), which was launched in 1983 and has enabled many discoveries in the field of infrared astronomy. In 1988, Habing received the Gilles Holst Medal.

Things named after Habing

  • Habing field, a measure of the interstellar radiation field.[3]
  • (5037) Habing, asteroïd.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Habing, Harm J. (2018). The Birth of Modern Astronomy. Historical & Cultural Astronomy. Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-99082-8. ISBN 978-3-319-99081-1.
  2. ↑ Habing, Harm J. (1968). "The interstellar radiation density between 912 A and 2400 A". Bulletin of the Astronomical Institutes of the Netherlands. 19: 421. Bibcode:1968BAN....19..421H – via Astrophysics Data System.
  3. ↑ "An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics - 1". dictionary.obspm.fr. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  4. ↑ "5037 Habing Asteroid Facts - Universe Guide". www.universeguide.com. March 27, 2019. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
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