Kuiper, Gerard

In fact, it was not until 1947 that any gas was identified in the Martian atmosphere by spectroscopic means. In that year, the Dutch astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper (1905-73) found that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the planet s atmosphere was about twice as great as that in the Earth s atmosphere. Even then, however, astronomers did not realize the importance of carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere, assuming that other gases might be present in greater abundance. 

Descartes and other theorists inspired not only their colleagues and immediate successors in the field of science but also younger generations for centuries after. One person whose life was influenced early on by the work of Descartes was Gerard Kuiper. As a young man, Kuiper read the works of Descartes and became interested in the same questions to which the great French thinker had applied himself more than three centuries earlier. Eventually, Kuiper suggested modifications in the Descartes "solar nebula" theory that have made it the current popular explanation as to how the solar system was formed. 

LAMELLAR GRATING INTERFEROMETRY AT 50y TO BEYOND 600y FROM THE GERARD P. KUIPER AIRBORNE OBSERVATORY... 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration s Gerard P. Kuiper Airborne Observatory has now been operational for approximately one year. During that time it has provided550 hours of observing time at altitudes of 13-14 km to 14 separate research groups. The experiments flown include photometers and spectrometers designed for observations in spectral bands ranging from 1-lOOOy. 

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