Post by COEP Astronomy Club

Zdeněk Kopal (4 April 1914-23 June 1993), was a Czech astronomer and an astronomical revolutionary. He was born in Litomysl, Bohemia. His interest in Astronomy sparked during his teenage years - He had his first paper published at the age of 16. He would then go on to zestfully pursue his passion- Astronomy. He primarily worked in England, for Harvard University and later worked for Massachusetts Institute of Technology(USA), during the second world war. He would then join Manchester University during the era of the Space Race. He launched the Manchester Lunar Program and contributed immensely to Lunar Exploration globally. He would then go on to assist NASA and his Lunar research proved vital for the Apollo Landings. He also invested his time in variable stars , particularly close eclipsing binary stars. His most famous work, is one in which he predicted the transfer of mass between separate stars in binary systems. The numerical method required for his astronomical analysis was compiled in his book ‘Numerical Analysis’ in 1955, which is still widely used. He would then go on to become the editor-in-chief of journal Astrophysics and Spacescience till his death. The asteroid 2628- Kopal is named in honour of him.