Spitzer, Lyman, Jr. (1914-1997), an American astrophysicist, pioneered the use of telescopes in space. His research focused on plasmas, forms of matter made up of electrically charged atomic particles. Spitzer studied plasmas in outer space and also in laboratories on Earth.
In his 1946 paper “Astronomical Advantages of an Extra-Terrestrial Observatory,” Spitzer made the first convincing proposal for sending a telescope into space. Earth’s atmosphere interferes with the light reaching the planet’s surface from outer space. Spitzer argued that a telescope orbiting above the atmosphere, therefore, could perform important observations not possible with ground-based telescopes. Spitzer’s ideas eventually led to the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990.
Much of Spitzer’s astrophysical research concerned the interstellar medium, the gas and dust in the space between the stars. He also led efforts to create hot plasmas in Earth laboratories, becoming the founding director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in 1951.
Spitzer was born June 26, 1914, in Toledo, Ohio. In 1938, he earned a Ph.D. degree from Princeton University. He joined the faculty of Yale University in 1939. In 1947, Spitzer returned to Princeton, working there until his death on March 31, 1997. The Spitzer Space Telescope, launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2003, was named in his honor.
