Yrjö Väisälä

Yrjö Väisälä (Finnish: [ˈyrjø ˈʋæi̯sælæ] ⓘ; 6 September 1891 – 21 July 1971) was a <a href="/facts/Finns/6rVmdljT">Finnish</a> <a href="/facts/Astronomer/ronF8j4a">astronomer</a> and <a href="/facts/Physicist/cQcgvSIm">physicist</a>.
His main contributions were in the field of <a href="/facts/Optics/p0vq4S1T">optics</a>. He was also active in <a href="/facts/Geodetics/EJH0Te0m">geodetics</a>, <a href="/facts/Astronomy/0ArJVM1p">astronomy</a> and optical <a href="/facts/Metrology/HC0MmLdb">metrology</a>. He had an affectionate nickname of Wizard of <a href="/facts/Tuorla_Observatory/yrbRGp8h">Tuorla</a> (Observatory/Optics laboratory), and a book with the same title in Finnish describes his works. His discoveries include 128 asteroids and 3 comets.
His brothers were mathematician Kalle Väisälä (1893–1968) and meteorologist <a href="/facts/Vilho_V%25C3%25A4is%25C3%25A4l%25C3%25A4/wd4IKSfu">Vilho Väisälä</a> (1889–1969). His daughter <a href="/facts/Marja_V%25C3%25A4is%25C3%25A4l%25C3%25A4/wBxhk39d">Marja Väisälä</a> (1916–2011) was an astronomer and <a href="/facts/Discoverer_of_minor_planets/R4tIAzYJ">discoverer of minor planets</a>.
Väisälä was a fervent supporter of <a href="/facts/Esperanto/5cWPoLuM">Esperanto</a>, presiding over the Internacia Scienca Asocio Esperantista ("International Association of Esperanto Scientists") in 1968.

Yrjö Väisälä open-in-new

Yrjö Väisälä