Liisi Oterma

Liisi Oterma, born on January sixth, nineteen fifteen, was a pioneering Finnish astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. She was the first woman in Finland to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy, a remarkable achievement that paved the way for future generations of female scientists. Oterma studied mathematics and astronomy at the University of Turku, where she became an assistant to the esteemed astronomer Yrjö Väisälä, focusing on the search for minor planets.

After obtaining her master's degree in nineteen thirty-eight, Oterma worked as an observer at the university's observatory from nineteen forty-one to nineteen sixty-five. She completed her Ph.D. in nineteen fifty-five with a dissertation on telescope optics, solidifying her status as a leading figure in her field. In nineteen fifty-nine, she became a docent of astronomy and later served as a professor at the University of Turku from nineteen sixty-five to nineteen seventy-eight.

Oterma's career reached new heights when she succeeded Väisälä as the director of the Tuorla Observatory in nineteen seventy-one. She also directed the astronomical-optical research institute at the University of Turku from nineteen seventy-one to nineteen seventy-five. Throughout her career, Oterma discovered or co-discovered several comets, including periodic comets such as thirty-eight P/Stephan-Oterma and thirty-nine P/Oterma, and she is credited with the discovery of fifty-four minor planets between nineteen thirty-eight and nineteen fifty-three.

In addition to her astronomical pursuits, Oterma was a passionate linguist, fluent in multiple languages including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Esperanto, Hungarian, English, and Arabic. Despite her numerous accomplishments, she was known for her modesty and aversion to publicity, often avoiding photographs and public appearances. The Hildian asteroid 1529 Oterma, discovered by Yrjö Väisälä in nineteen thirty-eight, was named in her honor, a testament to her lasting impact on the field of astronomy.