Bart Bok - Honors, Bibliography

Astronomer, born in Hoorn, W Netherlands. He went to Harvard College on a fellowship in 1929 and stayed until he became director of the Mt Stromio Observatory in Australia (1957–66). At the University of Arizona, he directed the Steward Observatory (1966–70). His classic The Milky Way, co-authored with his wife Priscilla Bok, went through many editions.

Bart Jan Bok (Hoorn, April 28, 1906 – Tucson, August 5, 1983) was a Dutch-American astronomer. In 1929 he married fellow astronomer Dr. Priscilla Fairfield Bok, and for the remainder of their lives the two collaborated closely on their astronomical work.

In 1975 Bok coauthored the statement Objections to Astrology (The Humanist, 1975), which was endorsed by 186 professional astronomers, astrophysicists, and other scientists, including nineteen winners of the Nobel Prize.

Bart Bok was an exceedingly popular personality in the field of astronomy, noted for his affability and humor, as well as his capacity for drinks.

Bok died of a heart attack in his home in Tucson, Arizona.

Honors

Awards

Bruce Medal (1977) Henry Norris Russell Lectureship (1982) Klumpke-Roberts Award (1982)

Named after him

Bok crater on the Moon (with his wife) Asteroid 1983 Bok (with his wife) Bok globules

Bok crater on Mars is named for a geographical location in Papua New Guinea and not for him.

Bibliography

Bart Jan Bok and Priscilla Fairfield Bok, The Milky Way, Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-57503-2.