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The Messenger Brasil to join ESO The Messenger The 2nd generation VLTI instrument GRAVITY Spectroscopy of planet-forming discs Large Lyman-break galaxy survey No. 143 – No. March 143 2011 The Organisation Adriaan Blaauw, 1914–2010 In the last issue of The Messenger There follow three tributes to Adriaan Pottasch; and by Raymond Wilson, who (142, p. 51) only a brief obituary of Adriaan Blaauw: by Tim de Zeeuw, current led the Optics Group during his tenure as Blaauw, the second Director General ESO Director General; by his long-term Director General. of ESO, could be included at the time of colleague at the Kapteyn Institute, Stuart going to press. Tim de Zeeuw1 but moved to Yerkes Observatory in 1953, becoming its associate director in ESO [M] 1956, and moved back to Groningen 1 ESO in 1957, where he was in a key position to contribute to transforming the idea of Baade and Oort into reality. He was Sec- Professor Adriaan Blaauw, ESO’s sec- retary of the ESO Committee (the proto- ond Director General and one of the Council) from 1959 through 1963, a most influential astronomers of the twen- period which included the signing of the tieth century, passed away on 1 Decem- ESO Convention on 5 October 1962. ber 2010. Blaauw became ESO’s Scientific Director in 1968. In this position he also pro- Adriaan Blaauw was born in Amsterdam, vided the decisive push which led to the the Netherlands, on 12 April 1914. He creation of Astronomy and Astrophysics, studied astronomy at Leiden University, which successfully combined and under de Sitter, Hertzsprung and Oort, replaced the various individual national and obtained his doctorate (cum laude) journals for astronomy, and today is with van Rhijn at the Kapteyn Laboratory one of the leading astronomy research in Groningen in 1946. His PhD thesis publications in the world. The article was entitled “A study of the Scorpio– by Pottasch (1994) and the following trib- Centaurus Cluster”. During his career, ute provide further details of Blaauw’s Blaauw became renowned for his ground- creative leadership in the founding of the breaking studies of the properties of European astronomical journal. OB associations (groups of young, hot stars) which contain the fossil imprint Blaauw was Director General from 1970 Figure 1. Adriaan Blaauw in 1973 while Director Gen- of their star formation history. Perhaps his through 1974. During this period several eral of ESO. From a photograph taken during a con- tract-signing ceremony for building works at La Silla. most famous work explained why some telescopes, including the ESO 0.5-metre OB stars are found in isolation travelling and 1-metre Schmidt telescopes, began at unusually high velocity: the so-called operating at ESO’s first observatory The Messenger may serve to give the “run-away stars”. Blaauw proposed in site, La Silla, in Chile, and much work world outside some impression of what 1961 that these stars had originally been was done on the design and construction happens inside ESO.” The continuing members of binary systems, and when of the ESO 3.6-metre telescope, which popularity of The Messenger is a testi- one star in the binary experiences a had its first light in 1976. Blaauw decided mony to Blaauw’s foresight. supernova explosion, its companion sud- that it was crucial for this project to move denly ceases to feel the gravitational ESO’s Headquarters and the Technical After stepping down as Director General pull that keeps it in its orbit and hence it Department from Hamburg to Geneva, to of ESO, Blaauw returned to Leiden, “runs away” at its orbital velocity. benefit from the presence of the experi- where I had the privilege to be amongst enced CERN engineering group. He also his students. He continued to play a In addition to his distinguished research oversaw the development of the Proto- very important role in international astron- career, Blaauw played a central role in col for Privileges and Immunities that is omy. He was President of the Interna- the creation of ESO. In 1953, Baade and critical for ESO’s functioning. In May tional Astronomical Union from 1976 to Oort proposed the idea of combining 1974 he launched The Messenger with 1979, during which period he used his European resources to create an astro- the stated goal: “to promote the partici- considerable diplomatic skills to convince nomical research organisation that pation of ESO staff in what goes on in China to rejoin the IAU. From 1979 to could compete in the international arena. the organisation, especially at places of 1982 he served on the ESO Council on Blaauw had returned to Leiden in 1948, duty other than our own. Moreover, behalf of the Netherlands. He retired from 2 The Messenger 143 – March 2011 his Leiden professorship in 1981 and ESO’s early history with some of us of science, honorary doctorates from moved back to Groningen, but stayed (see the photograph in The Messenger, the University of Besancon and from active in various areas. This included 137, p. 6). During this visit he revealed his l’Observatoire de Paris and, like his pre- organising the historical archives of ESO wish to visit Chile one more time if his decessor as ESO Director General, and of the IAU — work which resulted in health would allow this. It was a pleasure Otto Heckman, the Bruce Medal of the two books, ESO’s Early History (Blaauw, to organise this trip in February 2010. Astronomical Society of the Pacific. He 1991) and History of the IAU (Blaauw, He met ESO “legends” Albert Bosker, Jan was well known for his warm personality, 1994). He also served as Chairman of Doornenbal, Erich Schumann and Daniel wisdom, humour, legendary patience, the Scientific Evaluation Committee for Hofstadt and was driven to La Silla and and the rare gift of being able to slow the European Space Agency satellite Paranal by car to enjoy Chile’s beautiful down when the pressure mounted. The HIPPARCOS, advising on many aspects landscapes. He characteristically engaged personal account of his life, entitled of its scientific programme. When the young people at the telescopes and “My Cruise Through the World of Astron- data became available in 1996, he was in Vitacura in interesting discussions and omy”, published in the 2004 Annual actively involved in the re-analysis of the throughout the visit displayed a crystal- Reviews of Astronomy and Astrophysics young stellar groups that he had studied clear perspective on the development of (Blaauw, 2004), provides an accurate first during his PhD research. ESO and on the exciting opportunities and inspiring picture of a truly remarkable for the future programme (a photograph person, who positively influenced the Blaauw remained keenly interested in of this visit is shown in The Messenger, lives of many. developments at ESO. After a discussion 139, p. 61). The characteristic twinkle in with him in late 2008, he drove himself his eye was as bright as ever. to Garching and back in July 2009 in References order to take another look at the historical Blaauw won many academic distinctions, Blaauw, A. 2004, ARAA, 42, 1 documents in the library and to discuss including membership of many academies Pottasch, S. R. 1994, The Messenger, 76, 62 Stuart Pottasch1 tronomers of PhD level or higher, with the This is where Adriaan, who was at that result that 75 % of those present agreed time Scientific Director of ESO, came that a new journal was desirable. Simi- in. He suggested, organised and imple- 1 Kapteyn Laboratorium, Groningen, lar meetings took place at a somewhat mented a legal status for the new jour- the Netherlands higher level in other countries. At this nal. The basic idea was that ESO would point there was much enthusiasm to begin make use of the fact that it was an offi- a new journal. This led to a meeting of cial European organisation. Its adminis- Adriaan has contributed to many fields of European astronomers on 8 April 1968. trative and legal services were made astronomy. In the long years we have available to the journal through a formal known and worked with each other there In spite of the enthusiasm for the Euro- agreement between ESO and the Board are two aspects that may be less well pean astronomical journal, there were of Directors of the journal. This agree- known and that I would like to highlight. rather difficult problems ahead. These ment was confirmed at the December problems were of a practical nature and 1968 ESO Council meeting, just before First of all is the deep interest he took in arose because the new journal was to the first issue of the new journal As ­ the formation of the European journal be a combination of journals published in tronomy and Astrophysics appeared in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Adriaan various European countries. The indi- January 1969. Individual countries took part in the initial discussions, which vidual journals all had a rather different could now contribute financially to the first began to take real shape in 1967 status. Some were owned by private journal, but ESO itself would carry no and especially in 1968. The discussions publishers, some by astronomical organi- financial responsibility for the journal. At in 1967 took place in several European sations. The French journals were owned the same time the Board would be en­­ countries. At first they were independent by the ministry in France, which could tirely independent of any influence from of each other and took place because not contribute financially to a European the ESO side on its scientific policy. of a general feeling in Europe that existing journal without an official treaty between European astronomical journals were various countries.
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