# Jacques Beckers

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{{Short description|Dutch-born American astronomer (1934–2021)}}
'''Jacques Maurice Beckers''' (14 February 1934 – 26 February 2021) was a Dutch-born American astronomer. He was director of the [National Solar Observatory](/source/National_Solar_Observatory) between 1993 and 1998. Beckers worked mainly in the field of astrophysics and astronomical optometry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Obituary: Jacques Beckers (1934–2021) |date=31 March 2021 |url=https://solarnews.nso.edu/obituary-jacques-beckers-1934-2020/ |publisher=Solar News |access-date=4 September 2021}}</ref>

==Career==
Beckers was born on 14 February 1934, in [Arnhem](/source/Arnhem).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gzNvCGJEGCYC&pg=PA252 Beckers, J.M.] in ''De leden van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen: een demografisch perspectief: 1808 tot 2008'', p. 252.</ref><ref name=lund>{{cite web |url=http://www.astro.lu.se/Localevents/beckers.html |title=Doctor Honoris Causa at Lund University, Faculty of Science |publisher=[Lund University](/source/Lund_University) |date=10 May 2004 |access-date=23 February 2016 |archive-date=8 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308013633/http://www.astro.lu.se/Localevents/beckers.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He studied at [Utrecht University](/source/Utrecht_University), where he obtained a PhD under [Marcel Minnaert](/source/Marcel_Minnaert) in 1964.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/mole016marc01_01/mole016marc01_01_0022.php |title=Marcel Minnaert Hoofdstuk 21 Een bezieler van jonge astronomen |language=nl |publisher=Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren |date=2007 |access-date=28 February 2016}}</ref> Beckers then moved to the United States, where he obtained American nationality in 1968. He was director of the [Multiple Mirror Telescope](/source/MMT_Observatory) at [Mount Hopkins](/source/Mount_Hopkins_(Arizona)) in Arizona from 1979 to 1984. Afterwards Beckers served as head of the National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) project.<ref name=lund/> Although initially enthusiastic Beckers became frustrated when the director of the [National Optical Astronomy Observatory](/source/National_Optical_Astronomy_Observatory) limited the scope of his project.<ref name="Pendergrast2009">{{cite book|author=Mark Pendergrast|title=Mirror Mirror: A History of the Human Love Affair with Reflection|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T4-GErgSbU0C&pg=PA313|date=1 April 2009|publisher=[Basic Books](/source/Basic_Books)|isbn=978-0-7867-2990-6|page=313}}</ref> In 1988 he started as research leader of the Interferometry Group at the [Very Large Telescope](/source/Very_Large_Telescope) of the [European Southern Observatory](/source/European_Southern_Observatory) in Chile.<ref name=lund/><ref name=eso>{{cite journal|url=https://www.eso.org/sci/publications/messenger/archive/no.58-dec89/messenger-no58-51-56.pdf |title=Jacques Beckers elected to Dutch and Norwegian Academies |journal=The Messenger |volume=58 |pages=51 |access-date=28 February 2016|bibcode=1989Msngr..58...51. |year=1989 }}</ref> In 1993 Beckers moved back to the United States to become director of the [National Solar Observatory](/source/National_Solar_Observatory), which he was between 1993 and 1998. He worked a further three years as researcher at the observatory. In 2001 Beckers started as scientist at the [University of Chicago](/source/University_of_Chicago).<ref name=lund/>

As a researcher Beckers worked mainly in the field of [astrophysics](/source/astrophysics) and astronomical instrumentation in the field of optometry.<ref name=lund/>

==Awards and honors==
Beckers was awarded the [Arctowski Medal](/source/Arctowski_Medal) by the [National Academy of Sciences](/source/National_Academy_of_Sciences) of the United States in 1975.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasonline.org/programs/awards/arctowski-medal.html |title=Arctowski Medal |publisher=[National Academy of Sciences](/source/National_Academy_of_Sciences) |access-date=23 February 2016}}</ref> In 1988 he became a foreign member of the [Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters](/source/Norwegian_Academy_of_Science_and_Letters).<ref name=eso/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnva.no/c26849/artikkel/vis.html?tid=40118 |title=Gruppe 2: Fysikk, astronomi, geofysikk |language=no |publisher=Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters |access-date=28 February 2016 |archive-date=27 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927171005/http://www.dnva.no/c26849/artikkel/vis.html?tid=40118 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Beckers was elected a corresponding member of the [Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences](/source/Royal_Netherlands_Academy_of_Arts_and_Sciences) in 1989.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knaw.nl/en/members/correspondents/3842 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224220919/https://www.knaw.nl/en/members/correspondents/3842 |title=J.M. Beckers |publisher=[Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences](/source/Royal_Netherlands_Academy_of_Arts_and_Sciences) |archive-date=24 February 2016 |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref> In 2004 [Lund University](/source/Lund_University) awarded Beckers an [honorary degree](/source/honorary_degree).<ref name=lund/> One year later he was made a Knight in the [Order of the Netherlands Lion](/source/Order_of_the_Netherlands_Lion).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050818/accolades.shtml |title=Accolades |publisher=The University of Chicago Chronicle |date=18 August 2005 |access-date=23 February 2016}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.genealogy.ams.org/id.php?id=113892 Profile] at [Mathematics Genealogy Project](/source/Mathematics_Genealogy_Project)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckers, Jacques}}
Category:1934 births
Category:2021 deaths
Category:20th-century Dutch astronomers
Category:American astrophysicists
Category:Dutch astrophysicists
Category:Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Category:Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Category:Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Category:Scientists from Arnhem
Category:Utrecht University alumni
Category:21st-century American astronomers
Category:Dutch emigrants to the United States

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jacques Beckers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Beckers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Beckers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.