The Father, the Son, and the Stars

Danish astronomy in the 20th Century can be typified as the "Strömgren Century" since two generations of Strömgrens dominated the field for much of that time. First Elis and then Bengt Strömgren occupied the coveted directorship at Copenhagen Observatory, and both held highly influential positions within international circles. Elis was devoted to classical astronomy whereas Bengt, stimulated by the quantum revolution then happening in Copenhagen, deftly combined observatory practice with the po ...