Walter Baade

Born in Germany in 1893, Baade significantly advanced the field of astronomy with pioneering research in stellar populations and supernovae. After moving to the United States in the 1930s, he worked at the Mt. Wilson Observatory, where he utilized the observatory's telescopes to deepen understanding of the universe. His research contributed to the formulation of the theory of explosive nucleosynthesis, explaining the origins of heavy elements. Baade also distinguished between the populations of stars, leading to the classification of Population I and Population II stars, which transformed the understanding of Galactic structure. His work has had lasting impacts on both observational and theoretical astronomy.