Lyman Spitzer(1914–1997)

Astronomy

Lyman Spitzer Jr. was an American theoretical physicist, astronomer and mountaineer. As a scientist, he carried out research into star formation and plasma physics and in 1946 conceived the idea of telescopes operating in outer space.

3
Major Awards
197
Publications
11,674
Citations
34
h-index
54
i10-index
59.3
Avg Citations/Paper

Education

Princeton University
St John's College
Phillips Academy
Yale College
Scott High School

Doctoral Advisors

George B. FieldTrinh Xuan ThuanJ. Richard GottJohn Beverley OkeLeonard SearleBruce ElmegreenDavid C. MontgomeryRobert Hugh SandersHaldan CohnMichael ShullMalcolm Paul SavedoffHenry Norris Russell

Career Timeline

Harvard University1938–1939
Yale University1939–1941
Yale University1946–1947
Princeton University1947–1997

Positions & Roles

chairperson

Academy Memberships

National Academy of Sciences (US)

Data Sources

Profile data aggregated from OpenAlex, Wikidata, and curated award records. Citation metrics may vary between sources.