Kuiper, << KY pur >> Gerard Peter (1905-1973), was an American astronomer who made important studies of the planets. He became known for his work in the United States space program during the mid-1960’s. Kuiper was a leading scientist in the Ranger space project, which provided the first close-up photographs of the moon’s surface. The photographs taken in this project helped scientists choose landing sites on the moon for United States astronauts. Kuiper’s other achievements included the discovery of the second moon of Neptune and the fifth moon of Uranus.
Kuiper was born in Harenkarspel, the Netherlands, near Alkmaar. He received a Ph.D. degree from the State University of Leiden in 1933. Later that year, he moved to the United States. He served on the faculty of the University of Chicago from 1936 to 1960. Kuiper then became director of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona.
