Gerry Neugebauer

Gerry Neugebauer, born on September third, nineteen thirty-two in Göttingen, Germany, was a distinguished American physicist and astronomer renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to infrared astronomy. The son of Otto Neugebauer, an esteemed mathematician and historian of science, and Grete Bruck, Gerry moved to the United States at the tender age of seven. He pursued his academic journey at Cornell University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in physics in nineteen fifty-four, followed by a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in nineteen sixty, where he focused on the photoproduction of negative and positive pions from deuterium.

After obtaining his doctorate, Neugebauer served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army, stationed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory until nineteen sixty-two. He joined the faculty at Caltech in nineteen sixty-two as an assistant professor, advancing to full professor by nineteen seventy. His illustrious career included being named Howard Hughes Professor in nineteen eighty-five and Chairman of the Division of Physics, Math and Astronomy in nineteen eighty-eight. At the time of his passing, he held the title of Robert Andrews Millikan Professor of Physics, emeritus, and was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory.

Neugebauer's work in infrared astronomy was pivotal, particularly in the study of planets and the cosmos. He played a significant role in the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), leading both ground- and space-based infrared studies. His observations at Mount Wilson and Palomar observatories unveiled thousands of infrared sources, including the first infrared view of the Galactic Center. Collaborating with Robert B. Leighton, he completed the Two-Micron Sky Survey, cataloging over five thousand infrared sources, and alongside Eric Becklin, he discovered the Becklin–Neugebauer Object, a prominent source of infrared radiation in the Orion Nebula.

In addition to his research, Neugebauer contributed to the design and construction of the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. His accolades include two NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medals, the Space Science Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Herschel Medal, among others. He was recognized as California Scientist of the Year in nineteen eighty-six and was elected to several prestigious scientific societies, including the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Astronomical Society.

Gerry Neugebauer was married to Marcia Neugebauer, a geophysicist and pioneer in solar wind research, and they resided in Tucson, Arizona. He passed away on September twenty-sixth, twenty fourteen, in Tucson due to spinocerebellar ataxia, leaving behind a legacy of scientific excellence and innovation.